dead and alive
by vighnngaigh
Summary: what would happen if sookie came to Fangtasia three years earlier, when the vamps were still a secret to the rest of the world? would she be able to resist Eric? or run away from the big, bad ass vampire? come and find out! rated M for lemons
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It seemed funny, now, to think that only yesterday I had been lounging in a chair at my home, sipping sweetened ice tea, the biggest worry on my mind being what I would wear that evening on a trip with my girlfriends to a bar in Shreveport. At the time, though, it seemed like worry enough. I really don't go out much, and not because I am not pretty. I am. I'm blond and blue-eyed and twenty-two with strong legs and a waspy waistline. I'm pretty blessed in the bosom department, too. It's just, that, I have this disability. I hear people's thoughts. Now, some of you may think, _oh, what a handy gift to have_! Well, you couldn't be more wrong.

First off, imagine being in a crowded room full of people, with all of them shouting their most private, and usually very gross and disturbing, thoughts right at you. Now, it would be hard enough trying to ignore them all and go about doing your own business. But imagine actually having to try to have a conversation with some of them. Yeah, tricky, huh? Most of you would probably just try to stick your fingers in your ears and sing "lalala" in order to try to drown the deafening clamor. I, on the other hand, in an attempt to look at least minimally normal, have to constantly split my brain into two- one half tries to block all the noise, the other is trying to appear normal to whomever I am talking to. Plus, there's that crazy nervous smile I always get when I'm trying to cover up my disability. And you wondered why I get called "Crazy Sookie"!

So, that's on their end. Even when someone comes along to the bar I waitress at, "Merlotte's", who doesn't know about my reputation for craziness, I find that it really puts a damper on things when you know that all the while your partner is entertaining nasty thoughts about you with your shirt off, or wondering if you're blond all the way down. It's really no wonder that I'm still a…well…let's get back on track here.

As I was saying, me and by best (and only) girlfriends, Tara and Arlene, decided to go to a gothic bar in Shreveport. Or rather, the two decided that I need to get our more and, through incessant bribery and threats, forced me to agree to this crazy venture. Not that I have anything against bars. I mean, I do work in one. Except that, this one had a trashy reputation. I mean, even the name(Fangtasia- I mean, really, who comes up with that sort of name?) basically guarantees a roomful of vampire wannabes and scantily dressed sluts.

So, I finally decided to wear a pretty, albeit short, white dress with tiny red flowers all over it that showed off my tan and breasts nicely, without appearing slutty. Arlene and Tara had tried to bully me into wearing black, but I'm my own woman, if nothing else, and wanted to show a little independence. Also, it was already obvious from their thoughts that they were determined to hook me up with someone, anyone, at that bar, so there was no way that I was going there looking like a slut.

I was putting on my red high-heeled shoes and matching earrings when the doorbell rang. My Gran, who was already warned that I was going out tonight and happy as a clam about it, opened the door to a very excited Tara and Arlene. Arlene was wearing an extremely short dress for a mother with two children and a bright orange shawl that accentuated her already noticeable bright-red hair, which seemed about two shades redder tonight, probably in honor of the occasion. Tara was also wearing black, but even more revealing- it looked as if she had squeezed herself into a very short, very tight black tube. Keeping my thoughts to myself, as usual, I complimented them both. Tara smiled at me, all the while thinking, _just great, Sookie has done it again- what's up with all the white? Were going to a bar, not a nunnery…how are we going to snag her a man this way? Well, maybe I could offer to pay…_ I pulled out of her head, feeling tears threatening to spill out from embarrassment and anger. Trying not to show how upset I was, I straightened up and walked us out of the house with my head held high.

Gran called after me, "I'm just going to leave the light on, and go to bed. Don't you worry about me, come back as late as you want!" I guess, if nothing else, a sure indicator that you're "antisocial", as my childhood psychologists called it, is if even your Grandmother wants you to get some.

After the silent hour-long drive to Shreveport, we pulled into the parking lot of Fangtasia (shudder), which was full of a few very nice cars and many more very crappy ones. I guess Tara's Malibu couldn't really compare to the shiny red Corvette that stood in the owner's spot.

Arlene and Tara were very excited to be here, because though they had never been here before, they had heard many great (and by great, I mean very bad and dirty) things about the place. We came up to the entrance to be greeted by a very pale blonde whose trailing black dress seemed out of place with her sweet features that could have done credit to a milkmaid. At least, that's all Tara and Arlene perceived as unusual about her. To me, she emitted the faintest of little glows. Breaking me out of my fascination, the strange blonde demanded to see ID.

I pulled out my driver's license as Tara and Arlene did the same, saying, "I haven't been carded in years". She looked at me more closely then, and suddenly smiled at me out of the blue, a very wide but close-lipped smile that looked very odd.

Barely opening her mouth, she said, "I hope you…_enjoy_ your stay here at Fangtasia, Miss Stackhouse."

Hmm. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that I had just been hit on by a woman. Tara and Arlene noticed this, too, and gave me odd glances as we came into the bar. Too late I realized that I should probably have scanned her mind, because she did seem unusual, something that I didn't encounter very often. But by then we came into the bar and all my thoughts about her were forgotten.

The first thing that hit me was the noise. There were so many dirty thoughts all over the place- every single person was thinking about sex- that I had to put on my shields full force, which required a lot of concentration. Besides the unholy thoughts bombarding me from every direction, there was also some very loud music playing with a beat so strong, I could feel the vibrations down to my toes.

The next thing I noticed were the colors of the bar and the attire (or lack thereof) of the customers. The whole bar was done in shades of red and dark gray, and the light was very dim. I could still make out the separate people, though, and was rather shocked at what I saw. Everyone was wearing black clothing, and very little of it at that. The women wore mostly either very tight or see through and trailing dresses and skirts, while most men seemed to have ripped their shirts and jeans almost to shreds. Suddenly, I felt extremely noticeable and innocent in my white dress. I guess I had missed the memo to wear black.

As we sat down and waited for a waitress to arrive, I noticed a few more people that seemed to glow a little in the corners of the bar. Around them was always a throng of the more scantily dressed men and women, who seemed to have severe scarring on their necks. Suddenly, it hit me.

The name, Fang-tasia, the trailing dresses, the strange scars- this was just another one of those places for vampire-wannabes, who seemed to be growing with the release of the twilight books. Disgusted but reassured that anything weird was just on their part; I sat back and ordered my gin and tonic from the waitress that had finally decided to arrive.

While the girl was taking orders from Arlene and Tara, I noticed that her neck seemed to be covered with the fake scars so many people here were sporting, except hers sure looked real. Curious to see what a vampire-obsessed girl was thinking, I peeked into her mind, only to jump right out. It had been like walking through a bomb site- all of her thoughts were scrambled, and chunks of her brain seemed to be missing. And she seemed so normal! Peeking at her name, I said, "Thanks, Ginger", and she walked right off, leaving me with my friends.

Turning to them, I saw that they hadn't noticed anything strange about the place. I guess I just had to warn them, so I said, "I think that we should get out of here. I just peeked into that girls mind, and something is seriously wrong with her. It's as if someone got in her brain and removed chunks of her personality, and yet she's walking and talking like a normal person! Something is seriously wrong here." Arlene and Tara looked at me as if I were crazy. Arlene exclaimed, "Girl, what are you talking about? In case you haven't noticed, the theme of this bar is _vampire_, so naturally someone would be crazy here. And really, I think that you're just trying to find an excuse to get out of here, 'cause you weren't exactly crazy to come here with us!"

I gritted my teeth at the accusation, but didn't respond, as usual, and resumed observing the bar. So far, nothing seemed out of ordinary, and I didn't want to risk getting an earful of disgusting thoughts from the crowd, so I didn't raise my shields. I was about to suggest dancing to the girls when I noticed a couple who seemed to be more clothed than the rest of the people here, who were probably here for the first time like us, get up to leave. Curious to see what would happen, for some reason, I followed them with my eyes to the door, where they were intercepted by the pale blonde. She seemed to stare into their eyes intently, said something in a low voice, and walked away. The couple seemed dazed, almost drunk, all of a sudden, and stumbled out of the bar.

A little creped out, I turned my face away to see ginger coming up with our drinks. I took a huge gulp of the alcohol to settle my nerves and overactive paranoia and it seemed to work immediately. I finished the gin and tonic and grabbed Tara by the hands, dragging her out onto the dance floor, leaving Arlene, who couldn't dance at all, back at the table. A nice song with a strong beat that vibrated through my bones was on, and I danced away, trying to ignore my misgivings and finally have a good time. Now, I may not be good at many things, but one thing I do great is dance.

After the first song, which I had actually enjoyed- I might have to ask the DJ for the name- my good mood was abruptly ruined when I heard a familiar beat signal the start of a new song. Tara squealed like a teenage girl and started clearing a circle for our little dance.

It was very embarrassing really. As high schoolers, Tara and I had been extremely innocent, but loved to dance and watch MTV. Naturally, the combination ended in disaster and near expulsion. We fell in love with song on the channel, and choreographed our moves to match those on the screen. As the dance was made to look like a lesbian striptease, full of bumping and grinding and our bodies touching the entire time, it's needless to say that we were nearly expelled after performing it at the school talent show. Our innocent minds had no idea that the male faculty would remember it for years afterwards with a cold sweat.

It did nothing to discourage Tara, though. Every time she heard the dirty song, like now, she would pull me by the hand onto a dance floor and I would be forced to do it all over again with her. I learned after the first ten times that protesting was pointless.

This time, as we fell into the beginning pose and started grinding against each other, aided by alcohol, I decided to actually enjoy it for once. I closed my eyes and surrendered myself to the music, bumping my hips into Tara's as she held them and swayed sensually to the beat. I felt my inhibitions falling away, partly because of the alcohol I had consumed and partly because of the way all the men and even a few women were looking at us-me!- as if we were something to be desired. In any case, I danced like never before, and even felt my shields easier to maintain. Tara and I did the last thrust and grind, and opened our eyes to cheering, whistles, and a great many of lust filled stares from men and women alike- among them the pale blonde who had smiled at me at the entrance. There seemed to be strange streaks of power ran over us, but I assumed that I was just imagining it from all the cheering and attention, and ignored it.

Suddenly Tara looked to the right and exclaimed, "Oh, Sookie, I just saw a really old friend I haven't seen in forever! You don't mind if I go talk to him, do you?" And without waiting for my reply, she ran off into the crowd.

Sighing, I was about to turn back to our table when I noticed a stronger tweak of power than ever flow over me. Certain now that I wasn't imagining it, I looked for the source and was caught in the most icy blue stare I had ever seen. Upon further examination, the glacial blue eyes appeared to belong to a man. A gorgeous man, but you don't see me noticing that. He had a slim, shapely waist, very broad shoulders that seemed to be made to run your hands over, and a sharply sculpted face. His long mane of wheat-colored hair was a similar color to my own. He a high forehead, high cheekbones, a strong and straight nose, and full, sensual lips that at the moment were spread in a wide smirk. His eyes were focused on me so intently, I thought he might bore a hole in my skull, and the tweaks of power seemed to be growing in strength. Just then I noticed his aura- it was dark, dangerous, and- surprise, surprise, he glowed a little, like a saint in one of those pictures. Oh, but he was no saint.

Realizing that I was staring, I turned quickly away from his gaze and walked back to the table, shaking my head. Turning back to peek at him again, I noticed he wore an astonished expression, but quickly rearranged his features and looked away. Shrugging my shoulders, I sat back at the table.

Arlene asked me, "Where's Tara?" I suddenly remembered that she had run off, and told this to Arlene. She seemed pissed that I let Tara go off on her own in a bar like this, and went off to find her, leaving me alone at the table, but not for long. About a minute after Arlene left, Ginger came up again and put a new gin and tonic in front of me. "Hey, what are you doing? I didn't order that!" She answered dully, "It's a treat from Master Eric." I was surprised, to say the least, and answered, "I don't know who that is and I don't care, but I didn't order this drink and I'll be damned if I let someone I don't even know buy me a drink. You can take this away and drink it yourself for all I care, but I'm not taking it." She shrugged her shoulders and left.

Not long after she left, I was approached by the strange glowing blonde who wore a pissed expression on her face.

"You are being summoned by the master of this bar", she said in a bored voice, and actually seemed to be expecting my to get up and follow her. I looked at her incredulously, "You're kidding, right? Excuse me, but I don't get summoned by anyone, I am my own person, thank you very much!"

She looked mildly surprised, as if her usually obedient dog was refusing to sit or whatever, and, sighing, looked intently into my eyes. I thought she was trying to stare me down, and stared right back at her. After a second I began to feel those strange tweaks of power going at me and over me. She said, smoothly, still focused on my face, "You will come with me right now and be an obedient little girl."

Amazed at her audacity(word of the day on my calendar), I said indignantly, "didn't you hear me the first time? I said no, and I would appreciate it if you didn't call me a little girl. I really don't think that I'm that much younger than you." And I didn't- she seemed my age, maybe even younger.

Immense surprise showed on her face before she turned her face blank and walked away.

Not one minute later a third unwelcome visitor turned up. I didn't look up , but I felt whoever was there, and said in a pissed off voice, "I don't care why you are here, but no, I'm not accepting free drinks and I'm not going to be summoned by some Eric. He can get his own ass here if he wants to say something to me."

A very masculine voice purred, "Well, that's good, because I am here, and I want to know why you haven't taken the drink or come when you were summoned."

I looked up quickly to glance into the piercing blue eyes of my newest visitor, and quickly looked away, refusing to be affected by his dangerous charm (yes, I actually thought that). I snapped, " I don't take orders, first of all- I mean, what century is this, after all?" "The twenty-first," He responded instantly. "looking at him with some suspicion, I continued, "and really, if you want to talk to someone, you should have come yourself, not sent flunkies after me"

His lips twitched into a smile, "you're calling Pam a flunky?"

Exasperated, I interrupted him, "I'm calling you rude and ignorant if you try to _summon_ someone and give them orders. I mean, if you had asked nicely, I would have come."

There was that sexy smirk again. He leaned in (and in, and in- the man had to have been over six feet tall!) to place his mouth next to my ear. "So, if I ask nicely, you'll _come_ with me?"

Both his blatant innuendo and surprisingly cold breath affected me deeply, but I refused to show it and said, "Yes, I just might."

He straightened, though he was still smiling seductively. "Well, then, Miss Stackhouse," I wondered how he knew my name, but then realized that the blonde-Pam- must have told him. "It would give me extreme _pleasure_ if you would come with me to my office."

Too far into this to refuse (oh, who am I kidding, I wanted to see what all the glowing-and sexiness- was about) I took the hand he was offering and said, "The _pleasure_ would be all mine." Um, wow. I didn't mean for it to sound like that, but it just kind of slipped out. His smirk grew and he led me through the crowd.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: all characters and some words belong to Charlaine Harris, much to my regret. At least we can play with them. **

* * *

Chapter 2

Eric propelled me through the crowd with an almost uncanny speed, maneuvering between the tightly packed bodies with ease. Drawing me into his office, he closed the door after us, then turned to me with a feral grin on his face.

I gulped as I heard the door click shut, and hoped like crazy that he hadn't heard. After all, there was no _rational_ reason to be afraid of him. There was really no rational reason why I would be so attracted to him- his good looks aside- after all, I usually knew better than to be attracted to very good-looking guys, because their thoughts were always worse than everyone else's. I guess today was just my day to be irrational.

Seeming to sense my fear, or maybe hearing the nearly inaudible gulp I had made, Eric smile down at me reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'm not going to eat you." This made me feel slightly better until he added, "Unless you want me to, of course?" My comfort flew out the window.

Getting to the point, I asked, "So what is it that you want from me?" and blushed deeply, realizing that my words could be construed two ways. He didn't answer me, though he did grin seductively at my little question. Instead, he seemed to be staring at me even more intensely than before, and I felt those power tweaks from earlier flowing past me. His blond eyebrows even frowned in concentration, creating a little dimple in his forehead that, despite his little bad-boy image, made him look absolutely adorable.

Shaking my head, I looked at him again for an answer, and realized I wasn't getting one. A bit confused at his lack of response, and _very_ curious to see what was running through his pretty head, I did something I rarely did on purpose: I dropped my shields and listened to his thoughts. Much to my surprise, I didn't hear any.

"Oh!" I gasped, hardly realizing what I was saying, "I can't _hear_ you!"

He quit staring at me and looked confused, obviously wondering if I was right in the head. "I didn't say anything," he said uncertainly.

I stared at him, still shocked. "No, not your words, your--" And then I acted impulsively, insanely, because it was rude and a complete invasion of privacy: I dropped all of my shields, grabbed his face, and stared into his ice blue eyes, focusing with all my might. Nothing.

All the while, his eyes were getting bigger and bigger, the (extremely white) whites of his eyes visible all around his glacial irises, which were almost completely covered by his suddenly enlarged pupils. His face became completely still, and I felt the tweaks of power again, stronger than ever before.

Suddenly realizing that I was standing alone with a strange, albeit gorgeous, man in his office, holding his face inches from my own, and staring into his eyes, I jumped and stepped away. He straightened with an odd look on his face and asked me, "What are you?"

Well, I wasn't about to give my most closely guarded secret away to this man I had just met, no matter how compelling he was, so I simply said, "Well. I'm Sookie Stackhouse, and I'm a waitress."

Eric looked annoyed at my answer, for some strange reason, and was about to say something when a sliver of thought caught the edge of my mind.

My shields were still down, and I scanned the bar again for the brain signature. There. A man was thinking, _oh, I hope they come soon need the backup never seen something like this before oh god oh god what if they catch me I'm dead what if they do the same thing to me as that poor woman she was a slut but still oh her neck blood everywhere bathroom floor where's the backup need the police_. His thoughts were so saturated with terror, he wasn't forming complete thoughts, but I got what I needed: there was a girl on the bathroom floor with her neck all bloody, and over her was the bartender I had seen from a distance, a native American with black eyes and a straight mouth. The terrified man, who I now knew was an undercover cop, had walked in on them in the bathroom, and got away before they noticed him. He then called backup on his little police radio.

All this I got in a matter of seconds, and quickly turned to Eric who was beginning to say something. I rashly put a finger on his mouth to silence him, realizing my mistake when he put it into his mouth and sucked. The hot, wet sensation seemed to travel from my hand straight to my nether regions, and I gasped at the sensation. His eyes glowed brightly from under his lashes, and I felt something sharp brush against my finger, adding to the pleasure.

Quite suddenly coming to my senses, hitting the earth with an almost audible thump, I quickly pulled my finger out of Eric's sensuous mouth and said sharply, "Eric, not now. We've got to leave, now."

He still hadn't fully noticed my urgency, and answered in a voice full of raw sex, "If not now, then when?" and made sure to look into my eyes, sending another twinge down there. Not helping.

Using all my mental power to gain control over my treacherous body, I interrupted his smoldering. "Eric, I'm serious. The police are coming."

His whole demeanor changed. The icy eyes flashed with fury, and suddenly I was up against the wall, though not on the way I had expected. His hand was literally holding me off the floor, and his expression was making me almost shake with fear.

"Who are you? When did they send you? Did you call for them?"

I was almost shaken enough to lose my mind with fear, but pulled myself together.

"I most certainly was _not_ sent by the police, and maybe if you let me down, I'll tell you about it."

He hissed, though not quite as furiously as before, "you are a foolish woman if you think you can bargain with me." – And let me down. Still watching me angrily, he said, "Speak."

I glared at him for his lack of manners, but decided this wasn't the time.

"There's an undercover cop here, and he saw the bartender in the bathroom doing—something—to a girl whose neck was all bloody. The cop got out before they noticed him, and called his backup on his little radio. I think they should be here in around five minutes, as far as I can tell."

Eric stared at me, but now with and expression of confused interest. He asked a second time, "What are you?" and seemed to be going through a list of possibilities through his head. I couldn't hear one of them.

I supposed there was no way to hide my disability now, so I mumbled reluctantly, "Telepath."

His eyes gleamed again with that hot, appreciative look.

"A psychic." He muttered. Then added, "I had a psychic once. It was incredible."

Rolling my eyes, I asked sharply, "did the psychic think so?" Of course, he'd only remember her for being in bed with him. I was starting to see what a womanizer he was, and vowed to myself that I wouldn't be one of his easy conquests.

He laughed at my question and answered amiably, "For a while."

Suddenly I realized something. "Wait, you said you had a psychic. That means that there's more people…like me?"

He looked at me intently then. "Yes, although telepaths are very rare. You are saying that you've never encountered any before?"

I shook my head. Then a stroke of inspiration hit me. "You aren't a telepath, are you?" The possibilities were endless- after all, I couldn't hear him, so maybe he was blocking. I thought how wonderful it would be to have a companion I couldn't hear, and got very excited.

Then he answered warily, "No. I'm not a telepath…"

I asked impatiently, "Then what are you?"

Eric looked torn between answering me and keeping his little secret- I was pretty sure that he had one, since I couldn't hear his thoughts and he seemed to know about telepaths. It seemed like too weird a coincidence to be true.

Finally, he answered simply. "My dear Sookie, don't you know? I am a vampire."

Then he showed his fangs.

_Sorry, this chapter is a bit shorter than the last- but I couldn't resist the temptation of a cliffhanger :k_

_Thank you, wonderful reviewers. I finally see the fuss over reviews. It's like a cup of coffee in the morning, a much needed orgasm from a gorgeous Viking, a sip of blood after a week of starving for a pretty telepath. If you haven't already, Please press the little green button and review. Thank you, :k_


	3. Chapter 3

**Unfortunately, Southern Vampire Mysteries, and Eric along with them, belong to C. Harris.**

_Sorry this took so long- I'll try to update quicker._

_Enjoy!  
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Chapter 3

I stared for a second, then burst out laughing.

Eric looked annoyed and not a little bit surprised at my sudden outburst. No doubt, he was expecting a big reaction to his little stunt. Well, he had another thing coming, clearly. I'm not as stupid as that- did he really expect I would fall for his hoax? And here I thought he was the only normal one in this place full of vampire-wannabes. Apparently, though, he was just as bad as the rest of them.

"You think this is a laughing mater?" he asked me in disbelief, interrupting my thoughts.

"Oh, no. There is nothing funny about meeting another vampire-wannabe. It's pretty pathetic, actually," I told him sincerely, stopping my laughter. While I had been talking, his face seemed to go through a wide range of emotions with impossible speed- confusion, realization, surprise, fury, and disappointment.

I shook my head and said, "So I think I'll just go, now. I've seen enough." I was about to grab my purse and get the heck away from the crazy (tempting) man, but he grabbed my arm again. He asked rather angrily, "Vampire-wannabes?"

I answered, "Well, yes, what else could it be? I mean, vampires don't really exist! It's impossible."

He observed simply, "Most people believe telepaths don't exist, either, but here you are."

I was about to argue with him that it wasn't the same thing, but he cut off my sputtering.

"You were right- the police _are_ coming. Let's get out of here."

This completely distracted me, and I merely followed to his car- the red corvette, of course. Suddenly, I remembered my friends, whom I had abandoned.

"We have to go back! Amelia and Tara are left in the bar!"

Eric looked at me sideways, and I realized that we were already speeding down the road, breaking all speed limits, no doubt. He finally answered, "Pam will probably pick them up on her way out- I warned her."

I didn't really believe him, because I hadn't seen her since we left his office, but decided to be quiet.

What really interested me was if what he was saying was true. Could there really be vampires alive-dead-undead- in the world? Up until now, I had thought that such things were myths, stories to scare children into staying in the house, but what if they were true? Heaven knows, my disability was not very common either, but, as Eric said, here I was. And speaking of Eric, he didn't exactly seem to be the type to play vampire dress-up with teenage girls. Come to think of it, there was another strange thing about the bar: the only teenage-looking people were the ones who pretended to be the prey, with their scarred necks; the glowing people were actually mostly adults, and a little too old and intimidating to play pretend. Another thing- why couldn't I read Eric's mind? Was it only him, or was he, in fact, a vampire? After all, according to the myths, vampires are supposed to be dead, and the dead don't exactly give off brainwaves. I was intrigued and more than a little terrified at what the implications of this might be.

If vampires were real, then were they all evil? On the one hand, if Eric's brain was any indication, their brains were silent to me, so maybe I could even be around people without feeling my head split into two. On the other, how would I know if I was safe? If vampires could live (or die, unlive- what's the term?) hidden among humans for so long, then I couldn't imagine how cunning and dangerous they were. And they probably had their own laws and morals, most likely _very_ different from human ones, if they intended to survive as such a small minority. Which myths were true?

My head was spinning with all these wild thoughts passing through, but fortunately, I was spared from having to say anything when we heard the sirens behind us. Eric, who had been silent through my musing, probably realizing my need to think, now cursed and pulled off the road. The red and blue lights caught up with us soon and a squat police officer got out.

Coming up to the door of the corvette, he asked, "Y'all folks reahlize you been goin' an 'undred miles an hour, right?" with a thick southern drawl. Just like the rest of him, his face was round and blubbery, with a few hairs on the sides and eyes like slits amid the extra skin. Eric seemed frustrated with the little man, and didn't answer. Instead, after a short glance at me, he looked him intently in the slits of his watery eyes and seemed to concentrate. In a moment, I felt the tweaks of power flowing again, and not at me, but at the squat officer. Instead of gliding over him, as they had in my case, they went straight into his head and started doing something. Eric said, smoothly, "You did not see us. Oh, no, instead of being at your post, you were out eating…donuts, and now you are so full, you will not eat for a week. Go now and sleep it off."

And to my astonishment, the little man's eyes got even more droopy, and he stumbled back to his car. Before he drove off, I peeked into his head, and was terrified to see that his memories of the past few minutes had been erased; leaving only a full, slightly nauseous sensation and a deep urge to sleep.

I looked at Eric, horrified. "What did you do to that man?"

He shrugged, "I glamoured him. He was a nuisance, and I decided to pay him a kindness by erasing his memories instead of killing him. It would be too much trouble to dispose of the body, as well." He said killing and disposing of the body as calmly as anything.

I stared at him, but instead of yelling at him, which, though very tempting, was clearly pointless, asked instead, "What's glamour?"

He looked surprised that I didn't yell and said, "It is one of the vampire talents. I erased his mind and put new memories in- I'm sure you know, with your gift. This is very useful in helping us stay hidden."

We were nearing my house, I noticed then. I wondered how he knew where I lived, then realized Pam must have seen it on my ID, and told him about it. I would have to kill that blonde. And speaking of killing, Eric was waiting for a response to his explanation. Well, I wasn't one to be rude.

"So you really are a vampire," I said, finally accepting it. There was really no other explanation. Strangely enough, though, I didn't feel as frightened or repulsed as I maybe should have- but if, like me, you have spent your life being shunned and dismissed as unreal or terrible, you find yourself very tolerant of differences. Even ones like Eric's.

He answered slowly, "Yes, I would have thought that would be clear by now."

I just sighed, but then a sudden thought struck me.

"Wait, why are you telling me about this? Isn't there some sort of rule about this?"

His turn to sigh. "Yes, but I think you hardly apply to that, being a psychic. You would probably have found out sooner or later, with your ability," He said.

Then added with a wicked glint in his eye, "Also, there's that fact that I want to have sex with you, and since I can't seem to glamour you, I suppose I'll have to do it the old-fashioned way." By now, we were in my long driveway quickly approaching the house.

I swallowed, and then asked, "And what would that be?" with a bravery I did not feel. After all, if this man could speak so mildly of murdering a police officer, who knows what he had planned for me?

He chuckled as he parked the car in front of my Gran's house, and then leaned in close to my ear, sending scary (and delightful) shivers down my back.

"Seduction," was all he whispered in a cold breath, but in a voice that could melt a rock. Well, I was anything but a rock at that moment. Heat pooled in my core, and my breathing became fast and irregular. Damn that delicious man for affecting me so much!

Eric chuckled again, prompting more shivers, and then was out of the car in literally a blur, opening the door for me like a southern gentleman. I guess being a vampire did have its perks. I wasn't fooled by his gentlemanly act, though; glaring at him, if only for being so darned edible and knowing it (although in this case, it was him who would want to eat me- with the whole bloodsucking thing), I got out of the car and said, "Thanks for the ride." _I _wasn't going to be rude and obnoxious. That was his job.

Apart from being the owner of the most glorious butt in the world, I discovered, as I watched him walk to his seat. Shaking my head once more in a futile attempt to clear it (I knew this would come back to me in my dreams), I started opening the front door to the house. Eric called out, before he drove off, "And Sookie?"

I turned back to look at him.

"I'll be seeing you again." He smirked at me for the last time and drove off.

Slightly unsteady on my legs, from the alcohol, no doubt, as I kept telling myself stoutly, I walked in and closed the door. Then I went straight to bed, and started thinking about the day.

_Reviews are my blood and sex, I can't survive without them- so keep it up!_ :k

_I'm thinking of an EPOV next chapter-what do you think?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: SVM Belong to Charlaine Harris**

_Sorry about the long wait- my computer crashed for a week:(_

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The next day I tried to forget about Eric as I put on my bar uniform (black shorts and white shirt) and got ready to go to work. Fortunately, I had a full-day shift today, and I hoped that would distract me from vampires. Sam, my boss, greeted me from the bar with a nod of his red-blond head, and got back to cleaning the glass he was holding. I smiled normally at him, my shields down because there weren't any customers yet. I always found it was very easy to talk to Sam, because unlike most people, he wasn't a strong projector. Most of the time, his brain was just a nearly indecipherable buzz, with the occasional thought coming through.

Usually I was only too happy his thoughts weren't open to me; too many times I had been forced to quit because of nasty thoughts of whoever I was working for. This time, however, the memory of Eric's silent mind made me stop in apprehension. Of course, Sam couldn't be a vampire, at least if you believed the myths of vampires burning in the sun. Even without that, Sam seemed to radiate heat: where Eric was icy and dark, Sam was hot and light, with his Paul Newman blue eyes and slightly sunburned skin. No, he couldn't be a vampire…but if vampires did exist, could he be something else? It couldn't be that vampires were the only supernatural creatures out there.

Anxious to dispel my suspicions, I, for the third time in less than twenty-four hours, violated all my previous rules and inhibitions; I deliberately listened to his mind. Not so much to my shock, but to resignation, I was blocked by what seemed to be an iron wall around his brain.

The fact that I wasn't really surprised didn't mean I couldn't be angry, though. Stalking up to Sam, I grabbed his arm and asked through clenched teeth, "Could I see you for a moment?"

He looked surprised and nodded. I led him to his office, closed the door, and asked, barely containing my emotions, "What are you?" for the second time that day.

Sam's face whitened under the sunburn, and he asked carefully, "What do you mean, Sook?"

His apparent confusion only enraged me further; I said angrily, "Don't you play stupid with me, Sam Merlotte! I may be blonde, but I'm not dumb! Why can't I read your thoughts? Are you blocking me?"

He seemed dumbfounded at my outburst. "I never said you were stupid, cher. As for my thoughts…well," sighed, obviously looking for a way out. Suddenly he leaned toward me and…sniffed?

Before I could outrage at his—well—_sniff_, he exploded at me.

"Sookie Stackhouse, have you been around vampires? Dammit, girl, I thought you were smarter than to hang out with those bloodsuckers! How am I supposed to protect you if you hand out with a bunch of bloodthirsty deaders?" Suddenly he looked at me with horror obvious on his face. "You aren't a—Fangbanger, are you?!" Ignoring my look of shock, he grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled it down, exposing my neck and part of my cleavage.

Taking a sudden step back, I slapped him full in the face. My voice shaking with anger and suppressed tears as I demanded, "Who do you think you are, Sam? Don't you dare touch my clothing! I ought to go to the police station right now and file a sexual harassment suit!"

Then something else, something much more important, dawned on me. "Wait a second. How do you know about vampires? And what _are_ you?"

Sam seemed extremely embarrassed about his actions and words. As well he should, of course. Incredibly, he seemed to be actually deliberating whether to tell me. I couldn't believe his gall, and I told him so.

"Sam, I can't believe you wouldn't tell me your secret when you already know mine. I trusted you all these years, and you knew I was a telepath, a freak. All this time, I thought I was alone, and now it turns out that not only are there vampires, but more. And now you're keeping this from me? Some friend _you_ are."

I whirled and started walking out. Sam muttered behind me, "It wasn't my secret to tell." I turned around, waiting. He finally sighed in defeat, and took my hand for reassurance—his or mine, I don't know.

"What I am, Sook, is a shapeshifter. I can change into any animal I want to, and I have to change at full moon."

It took a while for that to sink in. "So, like a werewolf?"

Sam shook his head, "No, a werewolf is only one type of shifter, and they can only change into wolves. Same with were-panthers and were-foxes, but they are less common than werewolves. True shapeshifters, like me, are the rarest: but we can turn into any animal we want, as long as we see one before we change." He said that last part about being a true shapeshifter with more than bit of pride.

I looked at him, his words slowly starting to sink in. Surprisingly, like with the vampires, I found I wasn't scared of him- After all, I did know him for many years, and he didn't express any wishes to bite me, aside from that suspicious sniff earlier. Something dawned on me, "Is that why you always take a night off every month?" He nodded, pleased that I wasn't running and screaming, as maybe I should have been. I snickered then, "And here Arlene and I were hoping that you maybe got yourself a girlfriend…oh, she'll be disappointed when I tell her," I teased.

He grabbed me by the shoulders, hard. I was really getting tired of attractive men grabbing me. Oh, wait, who was I kidding- I loved it. His face was intense, energy seeming to crackle off of him. At first I thought he was going to kiss me- although I was very against dating my boss, that didn't mean I couldn't have an occasional fantasy about him. Then I heard what he was saying,

"…can't tell anyone about this. You understand? I am not the only shapeshifter, and we can't risk our secret getting out. We don't need another Ku Klux Klan formed against the shifters."

I brushed him off. "Sam, the last thing I would do is run to the press with this. I _have_ kept my own secret all my life, so I'm pretty sure I can hold yours, as long as you keep mine."

Sam smiled at me, all his anger gone, and said, "Deal."

We shook hands, but he couldn't seem to let go of my hand after that. His face now was intense, his blue eyes boring into mine. "Sookie…" he breathed, and leaned in, and I could feel hi hot breath on my face. There was something else I could feel, too, when he was holding my hand- although I still couldn't quite hear individual thoughts, I could feel the desire rolling off him in waves. Desire for me.

The question was, did I want him? His touch didn't send those sparks of electricity straight down to my core, as Eric's had, nor did I feel that same intense attraction to him. Sam was likeable enough, though, and probably safer than Eric, who was smoldering ice. I was torn between kissing him and pulling away. Fortunately, I was spared from the decision when the knock came on the door.

"Sam, Sookie, I need you at the bar! The customers don't serve themselves," yelled Arlene from behind the door. I was relieved at her interference, and was about to leave when Sam grabbed on to my arm yet again. I would probably bruise from all that grabbing. He said urgently, "Sookie, now that you know about the Supe world, you are part of it. Would you come to my trailer after work, so I can explain it, at least part of it?"

I was pleased that he thought of it, but a bit hesitant to be alone with him again. However, I did need answers if I was to survive in this "Supe" world, so I nodded after a second. He looked satisfied, and we left the office.

I sidled up to Arlene shortly afterwards, and said with a bit of amusement, "'The customers don't serve themselves?'" Arlene rarely cared about work, and very often I had to cover for her while she was off with her children or a new date. She looked surprised that I was questioning her, then shrugged, "Well, you and Sam _were_ awfully quiet in there. What were you doing?" She looked at me curiously. I blushed, for some strange reason, and she smirked and walked off.

Later in the day, I remembered something. I came up to Arlene and asked her, "So when did you guys get home last night? I'm sorry I ditched you." She looked at me funny.

"Sook, what do you mean? I was home all of last night, playing cards with Tara."

I gaped at her, "What? What about Fangtasia?"

Her eyes were blank. So was her mind, apparently, as I peeked in, this time ignoring my twinge of guilt with ease- I was only trying to find if they got home safely. But no thoughts of the disturbing bar crossed her mind; instead, she had a rather fuzzy recollection of her and Amelia playing cards at Arlene's trailer, drinking.

I quickly pulled out of her mind. I guess this was the Vampires' way of making sure they weren't discovered. Arlene was still staring at me blankly, so I smiled widely to reassure her. "Never mind, Arlene. I must have dreamed it."

Before I walked I way, I noticed that Arlene was wearing a high-collared shirt, which was very unusual, as she loved to show off her slight cleavage as often as she could. A terrible suspicion began gnawing at me, but I decided to wait for an opportunity- I couldn't just pull her shirt down like Sam, there were too many customers watching.

Before long, the opportunity presented itself. Arlene spilled some beer onto her shirt, and had to change. Grabbing a spare shirt from Sam, she stalked into the bathroom to change her shirt- I noticed that she insisted on a high-collared one, though she wasn't sure why herself, as her thoughts revealed (I was finding my telepathy to be quite handy all of a sudden- maybe I should have become Nancy Drew instead of a barmaid).

I followed her into the employees bathroom under the pretense of washing my hands, and caught her just in time. Her shirt was over her eyes, so she couldn't see me, but I could see her neck. On it were two red small wounds, with seemingly old scabs already on them. To my relief, they were the only ones there, unlike Ginger's multiple scars at Fangtasia.

I quickly walked out before she noticed me, and took a deep breath when outside. Thinking over what to do, I realized I could do nothing- she didn't remember Fangtasia, as I was sure Tara didn't, either; I only hoped they wouldn't go back, but I was sure I could keep them away. I would also talk to Eric when and if I saw him again. After seeing Arlene's neck, I wasn't sure I wanted to, my sparkly feelings for the man's body aside.

The rest of my shift went normally, and finally it was closing time. I was especially tired, having worked all day, but waited for Sam to close up the bar and followed him to his trailer close by, eager to hear answers.

We sat down at his tiny kitchen table, and he told me about shapeshifters.

"Shapeshifters, true shapeshifters, can turn into any animal at will, like me. It's very rare, though. Mostly, they will turn into one specific animal, such as a wolf, which is most common- they consider themselves better than others, for some reason- and other animals, such as panthers, foxes, owls- you name 'em. The Weres are organized, and they usually live as packs in whatever town they live. Why, Hot Shot, a short while from here, has a whole community of were-panthers, although they're a bit weird and interbreed a lot. Shapeshifters, like me, are much less organized, but we do keep contact occasionally." Here he smiled at some memory.

"Shifters are allergic to silver, like vampires, and _have_ to change at full moon- it's nearly impossible to hold it off. The Were and shifter genes go down to the first offspring of a particular male- the females, unfortunately, don't count, and the other offspring can't change. You could also be bitten and you turn into one of those half men- half wolf people at full moon, like they show in Hollywood." Sam grinned at me briefly. I asked him, "What about vampires?"

His face closed down. "I can't tell you about that- if they found out that a _lowly_ shifter betrayed their secrets to a _lowly_ human, I don't even want to think about their punishment. They can get quite…creative, having been here so long and being immortal." He shuddered, and added, "Besides, I only know the bare minimum about them. I try to avoid the supe world as much as possible. Too dangerous, too many politics." He then glanced at me. "By the way, how did _you_ find them?"

I said, grudgingly, "Fangtasia."

Sam looked very alarmed. "Cher, why the hell would you go there? I never would have thought you to go to a place like _that_. Which vamp did you see, though? I hope it wasn't that nasty bar owner I heard about- Northman is very powerful, and very ruthless and cunning."

I suddenly lost the desire to confess about Eric, so I just said mildly, "Oh, I just couldn't hear their thoughts, and I read the thoughts of one of the scarred people near them. That's how I found out."

Sam looked suspicious, but didn't press the issue further. Instead, he said with disgust, "Those were probably fangbangers you saw. They're lowlife humans who know about vampires, but are compelled by the glamour not to tell anyone. They are obsessed with the bloodsuckers, and always beg to _give_ the deaders blood and sex. They are pathetic creatures, whose minds are half destroyed from all the stupid glamour the vamps put them on. I'm sorry I called you one, I was just upset."

I looked at him curiously, then asked tentatively, "Shifters and Weres don't like the vampires very much, do they?"

He gave a bitter laugh, "Yeah, you could say that. More accurately, they think we're scum."

My temper started to rise. "Well, clearly, you think the same about them, from the way you speak of them! I, for one, like them just fine. _They_ didn't do anything to me, and they were clear about what they were from the beginning, unlike you, hiding your secret for _years_ from me. So far, they have proven to be better friends than you." I didn't know why I was so angry or why I felt the need to defend the vampires. Eric's face swam before my eyes. I was probably just tired.

Sam was astonished at my words, and then angry. I realized what I had said, and that I had given away that I had spent time with a vampire. Sam growled, "Sookie, _who did you meet_?"

I tried to look as dignified as possible, which was not very, and said loftily, "I don't see that that's any of your business, Sam. I have my own life. Thanks for telling me about the Supes" (the word came so easily to me) "but after you lied to me all these years, I wouldn't expect anything less from a friend." Then my tone softened, "Because I do still consider you a friend, Sam, even if you lied to me. But this _is_ my life, and I want to live it as I see fit. I don't have to tell you every detail. Besides, I'm sure it's nothing. I'll probably never hear from those vamps again, no matter how soothing their minds are." Without that slightly reassuring parting line, I walked out of the trailer, leaving an open-mouthed and incredulous Sam behind me. I walked to my car and was too busy thinking about my new information to see the dark shadow that lurked beside it.

_Eric POV will probably be either part of next chapter, or chapter 6. Sorry about the cliffhanger- the temptation… What I can promise, though, is that the next chapter will be up in a day or two, it's halfway done already ;k_

_Reviews, reviews, reviews—they are my life, my soul, and my libido, and possibly better than all of these put together. Constructive criticism, comments, admiration (I especially enjoy the last one) – all are welcome, so don't hesitate- push the magic green button! Thank you, :k_


	5. Chapter 5

**SVM belongs to Charlaine Harris**

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My heart seemed to leap into my chest as I stopped ten feet from the car. I hadn't noticed the dark shadow earlier because it was so small, but now I could see the outline of a petite woman, my sight blocked by the light in the parking lot behind her. I squinted, and then said slowly, "Pam?"

The blonde rolled her eyes at my dimness and didn't grace me with an answer. Instead, she said, "I am here from my master. You will come to Fangtasia with me now, we need your gift."

I stared at her incredulously. "You don't honestly believe that I'm gonna go with you right now, after a full day of work, just because _Eric_ told me to? And he didn't even come here himself! He sent—you!" (I was about to call her a flunky, but figured that wouldn't go over too well. I liked being alive.) "Well, if he thought I was gonna just trot on over to him like a dog, he's got another thing coming! I thought we went over this. If he wants something from me, he can go ask me his ownself. Until then, y'all can just tell him to fly a kite."

Pam frowned at my outburst, and muttered, "I don't know why he puts up with your bullshit." She gave me a once-over. "Then again, you do come in a nice package." She smiled unexpectedly, a full, wide smile that showed all her sharp teeth and newly distended fangs. "All right. I'll enjoy telling my master that you instructed him to go fly a kite." She chuckled in a very sinister way, and I started to regret my words.

"Wait, maybe I _should--_"

But she cut me off with another smile.

"Goodbye, Sookie. It was truly a…_pleasure._" She smirked much like Eric then, and…blurred off. One second she was there, the next a car I hadn't noticed earlier under the canopy of trees in the corner of the parking lot screeched out past me. It was a nice car, too. I was beginning to think that all vampires were very rich- first Eric's corvette, then Pam's nice BMW. I guess the speed and glamour came in handy as a cash bringer when they weren't using it to cover their existence.

I looked at my watch- it was ten minutes past one in the morning. Since the ride to Shriveport took about an hour to me, Eric would manage it in about twenty minutes, from what I saw of his driving skills last night. I briefly wondered if that speed and mastery applied to other things, then shook my head to clear my thoughts. If I had guessed correctly, I had about half an hour, maybe less, until Eric showed up furious at my house. The last thing I needed to be thinking about right now were his…skills.

Blushing to myself, I quickly got into my crappy car and started driving home. I didn't want Eric to catch me off my guard before I got there. I was not planning on succumbing to his silky voice or smoldering eyes this time, and was preparing for defending my freedom. I didn't like what Pam said about using my gift- I hadn't really thought of it. Of course, someone as manipulative and calculating as Eric would want to take advantage of my disability. This was part of the reason why I didn't reveal it to just anyone. When people found out about my little quirk, they often wanted me to use it against others for personal gain.

Stupid, stupid Sookie, I berated myself. What had I been thinking, telling a most likely centuries old power-hungry vampire about my gift? I decided to tell Eric, when he arrived in about ten minutes, that it had all been the alcohol talking, and that I was prone to craziness now and then. Of course, he would lose interest in me right away- surely so far he had only shown it because of my stupid so-called _gift_. It didn't matter, because I didn't care, I told myself stoutly. Something must have caught in my eye as I was driving, which was why my eyesight blurred. That's what I told myself.

I was in my long driveway when something flashed against my headlights. I braked the car, hearing the tires squeal in protest. The thing, whatever it was, appeared to be crouched and furry, with what seemed like rags on it. Curious and ignoring the thousand little voices in my head, this time my own, that were telling me to get in the car and _drive_, I got out of the car and came up to the dog, or wolf, whatever it was- I couldn't tell because it's back was facing me. Careful not to startle it, I asked, "Now what's a furry thing like you doing out in the center of the road?" I was up real close to it then, maybe five feet away. The animal began turning, and horror choked me as I heard it's unnatural growl and realized what it was. Looking over it, I saw the full moon emerge from between clouds. I really should have listened more carefully to Sam.

The dog, which, as I realized, was not a dog at all but a sort of half-man half-wolf creature, turned fully around and snarled at me. I wondered if bitten Weres could retain part of their humanity when they changed, because this behavior certainly didn't seem human. It almost seemed as if it were on drugs.

I turned and started running to my car, though not completely sure what protection it could offer me. The Were rose to half of it's full height, which was plenty high, into half crouch, and followed after me. I heard a snarl behind me, and then I pitched forward as a pair of extremely sharp-clawed paws reached my back and tore at my skin.

I fell down, screaming with the pain. There was a heavy weight on top of me, adding to my hurt, and just as suddenly it was gone when another rumbling noise came from the distance. I lay on my stomach, unable to move in the pain, and waited for the new threat to reach me. It wasn't as if I was in any condition to fight.

I rebelled against this thought and struggled to get up when the rumbling noise suddenly cut off, and the next second a pair of cool, large hands was holding me down and a smooth voice whispered in my ear. "Sookie, don't move, there may be more. I'm going to carry you to my car." I nodded, and Eric took me into his arms, face down, as I tried not to scream. I succeeded, much to my pride, and the next second I was in the reclined seat of Eric's corvette. He said, "Wait here," and disappeared. A minute later, I heard a growl in the distance, a high-pitched wine, a squeal—then silence. Eric returned after a while, and from what I could tell in the bright moonlight, he looked positively rosy.

"There weren't any more, and I disposed of the first one," he said smugly. "Disgusting creature, he was under the influence of narcotics, and that tainted his blood." His slight accent was more pronounced when he was excited, I noticed. I tried to move again, and hissed as there was a sharp pain across my back.

Eric lifted my shirt up, not without a leer at me, and examined the wound. He said, "The scratches are not deep. You are lucky that the vile creature didn't bite you. That would have been a problem," and grinned at me, showing that his fangs had distended again. Apparently, they came out when he was hungry, angry, horny, and maybe all three.

He continued, "I can't give you my blood now, because that would weaken me, and I don't want to be unable to fight in a place like this. I'll have to take you to Fangtasia, where we can take care of both this and…other business."

I just nodded again, too weak and exhausted to argue, and kept on laying there. The leather stuck to my cheek as Eric turned the corvette around in the narrow driveway, and I wondered idly what would happen to my car, then decided not to worry about it. It was in my driveway, so no one would take it, crappy as it was, anyway.

My blood seeped into the leather interior of the car as my eyelids drooped lower and lower until finally, I sank into the welcome darkness.

**EPOV**

I looked at the unconscious human next to me, and wondered at myself yet again. Never has a human affected me so greatly, in all my thousand years of existence. From the very moment she stepped into my bar, in that sinful, innocent virginal white dress of hers with the red shoes that just seemed to cry, "fuck me!"(I suppose this is where the term fuck-me heels comes from- this language of the last few centuries is so odd) I couldn't resist her. Then her dance, if it can be called that; the last time I saw a live dance performed so erotically, making me hard in seconds, was a five hundred and fifty years ago in the Middle East. Not as controlled as I am now, I had been unable to control myself and had the girl many times, draining her every last drop.

Fortunately, this time I refrained- as I was furious and then intrigued to discover, that full mouth of hers was sassy and frank, talking to me as an equal, which certainly made a nice change from all the groveling of all the other humans. Of course, with them, I would never have permitted this- they would have been bone-dry in seconds, disposed of in a swamp somewhere. No, this little tantalizing human was different- glamor didn't affect her, and I was delighted to find that she was a psychic. I only hoped that she wouldn't be as foolish as the last one to try to stake me after that great night of sex. It was truly a pity.

My fangs distended once again at the smell of Sookie's blood, so much better than what even my fruitful imagination had provided me with last night. I had been furious, though not very surprised, at her refusal to come to Fangtasia, although I did wonder what flying a kite had anything to do with it. Yet again, however, she had deflected my anger into desire. If this was kept up, the woman would have no respect at all for me.

I drove into my lot at the bar, and taking Sookie into my arms, using all my willpower no to take a lick of her sweet blood. With the state I was in now, a lick would turn to a suck, a suck would turn to a drain. I put her down onty my wide leather couch in the office, and grabbed a synthetic drink from the refrigerator. For years now, the Japanese had been working on these in secret, making a synthetic substitute for blood. With the rapid advance of technology in the past few years, we Vampires were preparing to declare ourselves to the world at the same time the disgusting substitute went out. We would claim that we didn't have to kill for blood anymore, and could live among humans. The concept was ridiculous, of course. This vile drink would never be enough.

It served the purpose well enough, though. After downing a few of the contraband bottles and grimacing at the putrid taste, I was at least full enough not to drain the delectable woman on the couch when I healed her.

I put a chair to the couch, and ripped her shirt and lacy bra off for a better view of her back and, I admit it, her glorious breasts. It seemed that even my too-vivid imagination had not done them justice. I took a moment to honor them, as it would have been an insult no to; then I proceeded to lick the blood off her back. The healing agent in my saliva created scabs on her wounds, and I enjoyed, for the first time, her rich, sweet blood.

No amount of preparation could have prepared me for its sweetness, the glorious taste nearly driving me crazy. I had withstood fairies better- it must be her. I discovered something else, too, something I had rarely come across lately; she was a virgin. I filed away that information for a later time, wondering how such a beautiful, desirable woman could find herself a virgin. The men around her must be fools.

As I was licking the last of the blood off, she awakened slowly. I was a bit surprised to smell a slight arousal from her, but was not given a chance to follow that when she leaped off my knees onto the floor. Gone was the sleeping seductive angel; the kitten flexed its claws.

"What the hell are you doing?" She demanded of me, and I raised an eyebrow at her obliviousness. Was it not obvious? My thoughts were directed to another venue as I saw her wonderful breasts swaying in her sudden movement. My fangs slid down so quickly they sliced at my lower lip.

"Healing you," I answered her, trying to will my erection away. Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice it as she realized her nudity and covered herself up, to my disappointment.

"You creep! This _healing_ of yours requires my shirt to be off, does it?" She screamed at me.

I don't enjoy being called names, no matter how seductive this woman may be. My fangs came down again, but this time in anger. I moved close to her so quickly she jumped.

"You should take care about properly adressing me," I hissed, barely containing my anger. "I will not tolerate disrespect."

She snorted, incredibly, but didn't say anything else. It seemed as if she weren't the only one affected. I caught the scent of her arousal, and tried to tamp down my erection again. I would get a serious case of..whats the term..._blue balls_ at this rate.

I forced myself to relax and say in a clam tone, "Now lay back on the couch so I can finish healing you." She sniffed at my command, but obeyed.

I went down on my knees over her and started licking again. There was a huge difference when she was awake. I coudn't suppress a low groan at the taste o fher blood; to my surprise, she moaned at the sound and I saw shivers go down her arms. The woman surprised me more and more often.

Finally, unfortunately, I was done. Her wounds were now covered with a crust that would seem a week old on a regular human. I had an idea, something that would both heal her completely and bind the intriguing human to me for a long time.

"Would you like to take some of my blood?" I asked, starting to get excited again- in both senses of the word.

She looked at me in horror and disgust. "No, why on earth would I do a thing like that?"

I sighed. I forget how it is for humans- they don't love taking blood as vampires do, don't revel in the heat of that intimate sharing, the taking of another's life force.I tried a different tactic.

"My blood would heal you completely, give you added strength and agility," I said. "Without it, you would undoubtedly scar that soft skin on your back," I added, appealing to her vanity.

The last bit seemed to get through, as I was sure it would.

"All right, I suppose so. There aren't any more side effects, are there?" She asked grudgingly.

I deliberated for a moment about telling her about the stronger libido and an increased attration to me, but decided against it. She already seemed reluctant enough.

I sat down against the arm of the couch and spread my legs on it, inviting her to sit between them. This position would both make it easier to give her blood and would alert her of my erection, maybe leading to some nice sex afterwards.

She glanced down between my legs and shut her eyes tightly at seeing the rather impressive, if I say so myself, bulge there. I almost laughed, but refrained, careful not to make her even less willing to take my blood.

She looked doubtful, but then suddenly surrendered with a sigh and lay between my legs with her bare back to me. She seemed to have forgotten her lack of a shirt or bra at the moment, and I couldn't be happier. Her shorts were small enough for me to see most of her long legs, and could easily be discarded.

I carefully bit down on my wrist, ignoring the pain, and presented the dripping hand to her. She took it gingerly with both hands, as if afraid to hurt me- the silly notion of that!- and began to suck. The first draw seemed to echo through me, making my already straining erection painfully tight in my jeans.

With one hand I unzipped them, and groaned at the sensation of my cock against her bare back. Already, as she started taking more greedy pulls, I could feel my being spread through her, unning through her veins and arteries, becoming part of her. I could feel her emotions through the forming bond- fear, excitement, and most prominently- lust.

Never one to deny a woman sexual pleasure, I slid my free hand up her thigh, under her shorts and lacy panties, and into her dripping core. I hissed at how wet she was for me, and how tight she was. Clearly, no man had ever had her. I imagined for a second what it would feel like to have my dick in her instead of my hand, and nearly came at the thought. She wiggled against me, and I groaned again as she moaned in her pleasure.

I was about to come, and could feel that only seconds were needed. Unfortunately, just at that moment there was a knock at the door. We froze, and Pam's amused voice filtered through. "Master, there is a phone call for you."

No doubt she knew what we were doing, and was deliberately interrupting. Oh, my child would pay most dearly for this, I promised myself grimly. I called to her, my voice rigid with anger,

"Unless it is an emergency, Pamela, you can tell them to call back later. Now go away and be sure to bring a set of clean clothing for Sookie." She knew that I rarely called her by her full name, so she obeyed the demand without question, even though it meant serving a lowly human.

Meanwhile, Sookie had apparenty realized what we were doing. She pulled my hand out of her quickly, and jumped off of the couch with an incredible speed for a human, almost as fast as a new vampire. Her back was completely healed, and her recent arousal left a lovely blush on her cheeks. Or maybe it was embarrasment.

She sputtered, "I...you...How could we? this...this was a mistake. Stay away from me, Eric."

She walked towards the door on unsteady legs despite her healthy dosage of vampire blood, and seemed to forget her lack of a shirt yet again. She would have done well as a nudist, I idly thought.

Fortunately for her, at that moment Pam walked in with one of my shirts and some lacy see-through panties. My child gave Sookie a thorough look, and her fangs distended. I could feel her arousal through our bond as her Maker. I said warningly, "Pam!"

She shook out of her reverie and her pupils became normal again. She said to Sookie, "Here put this on."

Sookie said uncertainly, "Do you have a shower?" I groaned and looked away. This woman would be the death of me. The very thought of her under our shower, water cascading down her breasts... I tamped down on that line of thought before I had an erection again.

Pam supplied helpfully, "Yes, down the hall, I'll take you." No doubt she wanted to see if she could assist her.

The door closed behind my Child and new bonded human, and I put my dead into my hands, wondering what I could do against a woman as tempting as this.

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_review, review, review! I am going to travel for the next two weeks, so I will be unable to update, but as soon as I have access to a computer, I will post the nest chapter. _


	6. Chapter 6

**SVM Belongs to C. Harris**

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SPOV

I closed the door behind me as I walked out of Eric's office after Pam and thought furiously about what had just happened. I didn't know whether to be mad at him or myself. I still couldn't believe that I had done something like that. Almost getting an orgasm from Eric Northman, whom I had met only yesterday! I had never before experienced anything even remotely sexual or romantic, because of my little quirk. I was quite sure that this wasn't the way things went in most relationships, though. From what I knew out of romance novels and people's minds, I knew that courting was a major part of most relationships, and you certainly didn't let a man, however sexually appealing he was, finger you a day after you met. I didn't know whether to cry in mortification or ignore the whole ordeal.

All I knew was that I was so overwhelmed with lust that for my brain just switched off. I used to think that only men had that problem- thinking with the wrong head and all.

While I was pondering my humiliation, Pam led me down the corridor to the employees' bathroom. I was suddenly very aware of my filthiness, the putrid smell of blood and sex rolling off me in waves in the small room.

I glanced at Pam, about to ask her to leave, but my heart sank. She was wearing a by now very familiar expression- her pupils were dilated, fangs distended, and she was down in a half-crouch. I, for one, did not want to become a meal to a horny vampire, so I said sharply, hoping to startle her out of her fixation, "Pam!"

It mostly worked: her pupils became normal and she straightened, but she leered suddenly, looking below my face. Startled, I realized that I was still bare from the waist up. Blushing furiously, I covered myself with my hands. Pam smirked in a way much like Eric, and drawled, "Oh, Sookie, there is really no need to hide those magnificent breasts of yours on _my_ account."  
I blushed, with anger this time, and retorted, "Fuck you!"

She shrugged, "I was only trying to pay you a compliment. You must be a modest woman."

I chose to ignore that, and stared at her pointedly, "I would like to take a shower now."

Pam misunderstood, probably deliberately, "Suit yourself. Need help?" She leered at the last part, and made no movement to leave.

I shuddered delicately, and tried to keep the horror from my voice. "No, thank you."

She wouldn't give up, "At least let me help you undress. You must be sore from the attack." I highly doubted that she cared so much for my well-being as for getting me naked, but I was too tired and sore to argue.

I gave a small nod, and she quickly undressed me, thankfully refraining from any disgusting innuendos she and Eric seemed to have invented. (Who knows- maybe they did. I would have to ask Eric how old he was.)

When she straightened, she rolled my grimy clothes up in a ball, and, carefully keeping her mouth closed, to keep from showing me fang, no doubt, said, "Get in the shower. I will bring you clothing." Pam said the last part with disgust, obviously appalled at having to serve a mere human. I was learning pretty quick that vamps thought themselves superior to everyone else.

Gratefully, I climbed into the shower and turned on the spray. The water felt heavenly on my sore body, and I almost moaned at the sensation of all the filth and blood washing off. This shower, in a tiny stall at a vampire bar in Shreveport, seemed to be the most heavenly shower of my life.

I came out of the water all refreshed and strong, and felt healthier than ever. Everything looked different, too. The lights seemed brighter, almost hurting my eyes, the sounds much louder- I could hear the music in the bar, and the people talking. I felt strong, too- like I could lift a car with ease. I figured that this was the effect of the blood.

I looked at the counter and saw the "clothing" that Pam had given me. It consisted of a huge shirt that must have been Eric's and a pair of white lacy panties that really don't deserve to be called underwear.

I put the white button-down shirt on, then the see-through underwear, and realized that I was utterly indecent. Since I'm well endowed in the bosom department, there's really no way to hide it when I don't wear a bra, and in this white shirt, my nipples were almost showing. The "underwear" really didn't help either.

Unfortunately, I didn't have any other options, so all I could do was hope that no employee came in the bathroom while I was in it. I hadn't realized before, but now I saw that the bar was still open, since I was able to hear the music and people with my newly improved hearing.

Pam came in then, and, not without a leer at me (This was turning out to be an annoying habit of hers), she led me back to Eric's office.

I was determined to forget the whole near-orgasm incident, and treat him as I would any other deliciously handsome man whose thoughts I couldn't hear. Right.

When I walked into the office, however, I was hit with such a strong wave of lust that I nearly staggered. I was almost sure that it didn't come from me, but my thoughts were deflected when I saw Eric standing in front of his desk, looking at me like a starving dog might at a large, juicy piece of meat. Slowly, he looked me up and down, and grinned broadly, showing fully distended fangs and an impressive bulge in his jeans. I blushed at the intense scrutiny, and Eric laughed, sounding delighted with my humiliation.

"My, Pam, this certainly is an improvement. I would never have thought that anything could top that sinful little dress of hers, but here you are, proving me so wonderfully wrong." He sounded sincere, too.

Pam smiled like a child at his praise, and said meekly, "I live to serve, Master."

She showed some fang also. "I think, however, that Sookie would look even better naked, though."

"True," Eric said, looking at me thoughtfully.

"Too bad she is so modest," Pam added ruefully.

"Oh?" Eric inquired.

"I complimented her on her wonderful breasts, and she told me, 'fuck you'" Pam almost whined. Suddenly, she looked thoughtful, "Oh. Maybe she meant that she would like to do it! I must have missed her meaning." She looked at me with mock-hopeful eyes and grinned her fang-y smile.

I realized that they were laughing at me, and harrumphed in anger.

"If y'all are done discussing my modesty, sexual orientation, and whether I look better naked than—"

They interrupted me, saying in unison, "You do!"

Furious at their mockery, I said through my teeth, "That aside, I would like to go home now. Eric, thanks for saving my life, Pam- thanks for the clothing. Bye!"

I started for the door, but suddenly Eric was in front of me. "And where do you think you are going?"

I frowned at him, "Home."

He said, "Not quite yet. There is the matter of payment. I summoned you today to Fangtasia not only for personal reasons, but for business."

With a sinking heart, I remembered that Pam had come to call me to Fangtasia at my work, and how I refused to go with her- the attack had wiped everything from my mind. Feeling quite sick all of a sudden, I realized that they probably wanted to use me for my so-called "gift".

I sighed and plopped ungracefully in the leather couch that was nearby. "What do you want?"

Eric seemed surprised that I wasn't fighting him, but sat down, much more gracefully, right next to me. I blinked at the close proximity, and caught a whiff of his purely masculine scent. My eyes unfocused and another extremely powerful wave of lust hit me. My nipples pebbled, and my breath became erratic and uneven. I looked into his glacial blue eyes, which were almost completely swallowed by his pitch-black pupils. I leaned in, trying to catch the tantalizing scent yet again, and he became absolutely still as I exhaled into his face. The lust threatened to overwhelm me; the tiny panties were soaked, and my nipples were tortured by the soft material of the shirt. Somewhere in the back of my head, I acknowledged the fact that Pam left the office, closing the door firmly behind her.

I focused my gaze on Eric's lips, his perfectly sculpted, generous, sensual lips that must have been made for kissing. I felt his hand on my knee, and instead of getting away like a sensible person, I came even closer. By then he was sitting back on the couch, almost like before, his legs spread, and I between his legs again, only facing him and kneeling, my lips almost touching his, my damp hair falling down and mixing with his. His hands came up behind my knees, halfway to my thighs, and pushed my weight slightly forward so that I had to put my hands on his thighs instead of the couch.

His lips finally touched mine, and I almost gasped at the electrical current running between us. He deepened the kiss, thrusting his wet tongue into my mouth and thoroughly ravaging it. I moaned, and arched my back slightly, my nipples grazing his chest through the fabric. He growled, and his hands traveled upward from my knees to the back of my thighs, brushing against my ass, then settled right at the lower curve of my butt and started kneading. He reclined completely on the couch, pulling me down with him, and attacked my mouth with renewed force, plunging his tongue in and out, finally settling on a regular rhythm that was as old as time. While he was practically fucking my mouth with his tongue, his hands traveled upwards along with my shirt, pulling it up over my back, shoulders, finally breaking the kiss for a moment to take the shirt completely off.

Meanwhile, my hands were busy unbuttoning his own shirt, spreading it open, and started examining the topography of his stomach and chest. His muscles were taut under my fingers, his chest strong and wide, his waist slim and fit. I felt his nipples under my hands and rolled them between my fingers; he hissed in pleasure and immediately returned the favor. Eric's talented hands soon had me writhing at his touch, and when his mouth closed around one of my nipples, I threw my head back and moaned at the sensation. Groaning in response, he dragged my head back to his, and gave me the most powerful kiss yet- apparently, during his long years as a vampire, instead of wasting his time on useless to the moment things like philosophy and learning, he perfected his kissing technique. His kisses were the stuff of dreams- one minute he was hot and demanding, the next almost lazy and languid, as if he had all the time in the world. He alternated between nipping at my lips, careful not to puncture the skin with his fangs, and running his tongue through my mouth.

I had limited experience with anything sexual because of my gift, but now I discovered that I had a natural gift for the art of kissing. I ran my teeth over his lower lip, then wrapped my tongue around one of his fangs. His immediate response poked me in the stomach, and I smiled against his lips. As the lust waves threatened to overwhelm me yet again, I pressed myself against him fully, pushing my breasts against his hard chest, grinding my hips into this. His demanding, wet, talented mouth moved down my jaw to my neck- and I felt something sharp against my neck.

That alone was enough to shake me out of my lust-filled haze. I pushed back from him with all my strength, and sat at the opposite edge of the couch, breathing hard, staring at him. His shirt was unbuttoned, his mouth parted with white fangs peeking out, his hair crazy, and his pupils so wide that no blue was visible. I suspected that my own state was even worse, as I gingerly touched my swollen lips with my fingers. For a moment, I was almost tempted to get back there and continue what was started, but then shook the last vestiges of the haze off.

I glared at him in fury. "What the hell did you do to me?"

He was looking a bit lost before, but at my words straightened and got himself together. If it weren't for his fangs and the fact that there was still a large bulge in his jeans, he would almost seem normal.

"What on earth do you mean?" his voice was strained, and he sounded more than a bit angry at the fact that I had interrupted our perfectly good time.

I scowled at his cool demeanor. "This! Why am I acting so horny all of a sudden, for _you_, of all people, and what is up with my vision and hearing?"

He sighed, looking resigned. I guess he was disappointed I had figured it out.

"That's one of the side effects of my blood. Your strength increases, your health improves, and your libido… ah…becomes more powerful. I have to admit, though, I hadn't expected _that_ degree of arousal. You were almost as horny as a newly-made vampire, and believe me, that is hard to match." He chuckled. "Oh, and now I can feel your emotions, as you can feel mine, and I could find you anywhere, with my blood in you," he added as almost an afterthought.

I stared at him, blinked, then stared again. When I was able to find words, I exploded, "What?!"

He blinked at my explosion, but remained silent as I started screaming. "You didn't think that I would like to know about this? Great! This is just great! I am sharing my emotions with a power-hungry old _vampire_, who can now track me to all ends of the earth, and, to top it all off, I'm friggin' _horny_ for him! You really didn't think that I should know about the little detail?! 'Oh, it will heal your back, and you'll scar otherwise'. I can't believe I _trusted_ you! I can't believe I trusted _you_! I should have known that a vampire like you would only take advantage! Urghh!" At loss for words to describe my fury and disgust, I stopped ranting to look at him.

His expression was pained, almost as if I had hurt him, but then relaxed again. He said in a remarkably smooth voice, "What is done is done, as you Americans say. One thing I must add, though, is that another vampire, in my place, would be much less mild than me- they would probably have tortured and killed most of your family and friends to persuade you to bond with them completely, or they would have taken you by force and fed you their blood until you were barely human anymore. At least I gave you a choice." He looked all righteous and indignant then, and I snorted in disgust. If I hadn't met vampires in the first place, this wouldn't have happened anyways. I cursed my friends for ever bringing me to this place.

He interrupted my thoughts to say, "Now, about that business."

I looked up at him in disbelief. "Are you serious? You still want something from me after you took away my freedom and tried to seduce me?" He smiled at that last statement, and noted, "_I_ wasn't the one who attacked you like a drowning human." He dropped the smug on his face then, and became serious. "But yes, as I _did_ save your life, I would think you owe me this small favor. I require your gift."

I tried to save myself with denial, remembering my earlier plan to account it to craziness. "What gift?" I asked with an innocent look on my face.

He rolled his eyes. "Your telepathy, Sookie."

I widened my eyes, "What? What on earth are you talking about?"

Eric almost snorted at my too-innocent denial. "Mind-reading, telepathy, gift, quirk, whatever you want to call it. I need it."

I gave an artless little laugh. "Oh, is this about yesterday? Well, you have to forgive me, I was more than a little drunk, so I went a little crazy, I always do that with alcohol, just make up little…" I trailed off as Eric narrowed his eyes in a menacing way.

"Were you to finish that sentence, Sookie, I would be forced to find the dirtiest, most psychologically damaged people I could find on short notice- which is plenty, then crowd them into a room with you, every single one of them touching your skin, and I would see how long you would last." He sounded completely serious, and I gulped in terror at the idea.

"Okay, okay, so I'm a telepath. You can't blame me for trying," I grumbled half-heartedly, pouting a bit. I had never really believed that would work, anyways, but I just had to try.

"So. What's this job you have for me?"

Eric seemed pleased at my surrender, and said, "Well, I can't give you the details now, for fear we are overheard, and it is much too late for this today, so you will have to come the night after tomorrow around twelve for the job. If you manage it, you will be paid, of course, though I imagine that the price of your life should have been enough. I think a thousand dollars should cover it." He grinned at my shock at the amount of money. I would have to work nonstop for quite a while at Merlotte's for that kind of money, and here I was getting it for something that came naturally to me. For the first time, I began to regard my disability and this employment to a vampire as something good. I had no idea that my little quirk was worth so much.

Seeming to read my thoughts, Eric smiled, "You would be surprised to see how prized telepaths are in the Supe world."

Tentatively, I smiled back, then stood, ready to leave. Again, I realized that I was practically naked except for the tiny lace panties. I glanced at Eric, saw that his fangs were shooting down, and hurried to find the shirt I had been wearing, which had ended up on the lamp on his desk. I put it on, and realized that I could not go home like this. Fortunately, Pam picked that moment to walk through the door with my newly clean pants. Gratefully, I put them on, then waved to Pam, who gave me a little nod in return, and followed Eric, barefoot, out the door.

_Sorry about the long wait- I did not have access to the internet where I was. This chapter is a bit longer though, so I hope you are happy. The next chapter should be up pretty soon. _

_Reviews are my obsession, they are like the first touch to a virgin, the first taste of ice cream, the little bit of sunshine in my life- so please, click the little green button and let me know what you think, what should be changed, or just any random comments. :k_


	7. Chapter 7

**SVM belongs to Charlaine Harris**

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**I am so, so sorry about the long wait- I will make it up to you, I promise. I was faced with a deadly combination of work, writers block, and bad luck, so please forgive me. **

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_I am using the dream thing from TrueBlood, because I really liked the idea. The words are the same, so, just in case: _**TrueBlood belongs to Alan Ball (I think) or whoever else owns it- not me. **

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_one last thing- This chapter may be a little less well-written, because when I was writing it, i was still under a lot of pressure. I will probably go back this week and edit it some more, but until then--here you go._**  
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The ride home was awkward, to say the least. Sharply self-conscious and incredulous at my behavior, I stared sullenly out the window of the corvette as Eric sped down the road, breaking all speed limits, and probably a world record or two, as well. He seemed lost in thought, though a normal man would have required all his concentration to drive so recklessly.

Then again, Eric wasn't normal, or a human man for that matter. I briefly wondered if vampires could get an erection, and right away vividly recalled Eric's hard length pressed against me during my lust-hazed attack. Oh, they most definitely could. If all vampires were as well-endowed as Eric, I could understand why there were so many fangbangers.

But then, Eric was one of a kind. He had to be. No one else could reach his level of physical appeal and perfection. If they could, all he females in the world would one day spontaneously combust, as I was close to doing.

I reflected on the events of the night. For all that Eric was angry at me for ignoring his summons, although I could not fathom the reason why-- clearly, vampires expected subservient behavior from humans-- , he did help me today. He rescued me from the Were on drugs, although his methods of disposing of the body were not much to my liking. He was entitled to the meal, though, so I decided to forget that. It was either the Were or me.

Eric also healed me—admittedly, he didn't explain the effects his blood would have on me fully, but I probably didn't ask right. I should have learned by now that vampire politics were very different from human ones, and that I should stay on my toes around them.

I should have questioned more persistently, and besides, the blood did heal me very nicely. I would have had scars otherwise, and, truthfully, that would have been very bad for me, as I pride myself on smooth and tan skin. Besides, the effects of the blood weren't so bad after all. Already, I could barely feel the scratches on my back, and I was sure they would be completely gone by morning.

I also felt _sharper_, somehow—I could see many things in the night I hadn't before, and my ears picked up the sounds of crickets and night birds even over the hum of the Corvette.

I had been very pleasantly surprised about Eric's proposal. $1K was a lot of money, and only for one night!

Of course, I had to keep my head about this whole deal—I didn't trust Eric farther than I could throw him, which wasn't very far, despite my overall well being after drinking his blood. Speaking of which—how did one become a vampire?

"Eric?" If this would turn me all of a sudden, I would be very pissed off.

"Yes, Sookie?" Eric shook out of his reverie and looked straight at me, despite the fact that we were hurtling down the road at over a hundred miles an hour. I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear.

Instead, I asked him my question as calmly as I could, suddenly panicked at what the answer would be.

"The blood you gave me…will it turn me into a vampire?"

He looked surprised at the question, then laughed, and it was as if a humongous weight had lifted off my shoulders.

"No, no, my lover, of course not. I forget how little you know of our world. In order to turn you, I would have to drain you to the point of death, then feed you my own blood, and sleep underground with you for three days. If I were to turn you, I would be your master, your Maker, and you my Child. We would share an unbreakable bond, and walk together under the moon and stars for hundreds of years until you decide to leave me for a while, like Pam did. I can call her back any time I need her, though."

I was surprised. "Pam is your child?"

"Yes, and she loves it. Why this sudden interest? Are you offering yourself?" He looked both incredibly smug and…a little hopeful. I knew without a doubt that if I said yes then, he would not hesitate to turn me that same night.

I shuddered at the thought. To never see the bright sun again, be confined to the coldness and darkness of the vampire world…

Shuddering again, I replied, trying to keep the distaste out of my voice lest I offend him, "No, thanks."

He shrugged and turned to the road again, as if to say that he didn't care either way, but not before I saw confusion and skepticism on his face. He must have heard my true feelings, then. Or maybe he used the bond—I would have to always mind that, then. Keep not only my mind shut, but my emotions blocked off, too. What wonderful things vampires brought to me already!

Meanwhile, we had arrived at the driveway. The whole ride took less than twenty minutes. I was glad, too. All the excitement of last night left me tired to the bone, and I was fighting to stay awake by the time Eric's car ambled through my rocky driveway to the front porch. He commented lightly, "You need a new driveway."

I was too tired to take offense and sighed, "Can't afford one."

He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, but said nothing, and I was too tired to wonder what he was thinking. I got out of the car, dead on my feet, and stumbled to the front door. Eric was there, like the gentleman he was not, and helped me up the porch. I gave him a tired smile of gratitude and said, "Thanks. And sorry about attacking you again. It won't happen again." I blushed again at the memory, which would probably haunt me forever.

He gave me that trademark smirk of his, and leered, "_I_ don't mind. Feel free to…attack me like that any time. And I'll hope very hard that you will recant those last words before long."

He leaned down to give me a kiss on the cheek, and as his cool, tantalizing smell wafted over me, it was all I could do not to turn my head and give him a big smack on the mouth. But even in the tired state that I was in right now, I could tell that this would lead to other things, wonderful and pleasant things, to be sure, but ones I would probably regret in the morning.

I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding as he stepped away from me, his eyes dark and penetrating even in the dim light. I forced myself to turn away, say goodbye, and close the door on him and all his decadent six feet four inches of sinful goodness.

I leaned against the door and sighed deeply, straightening when I heard his laugh floating away. Damn it, he must have heard me. I trudged to my bedroom, and fell asleep instantly, inhaling the delicious scent of Eric on the white shirt.

_ I awoke on what seemed like a huge, feather soft crimson bed, dark light casting everything else into comforting shadows. I was lying on my side, facing the edge of the bed, while a large, cold hand was slowly tracing invisible patterns on my shoulder. Still partly asleep and very comfortable where I was, I just sighed in pleasure as the hand began exploring, trailing down my arms, up my neck, leaving goose bumps in its wake. _

_It started caressing me down from my neck to my shoulder, my waist, and finally settled on my bare hip. One finger hooked around my hipbone, and pulled me over to face a beautiful and relaxed Eric, in all his wonderfully nude glory. _

_ "Finish your sentence," he said abruptly, frowning at me slightly, as if I were a puzzle he couldn't quite solve. _

_ I laughed in surprise, "What was I saying?" _

"_You were telling me how you would make a terrible vampire, and I was disagreeing," he answered, looking at me intensely with those ancient glacial eyes. _

_I considered the question, but just couldn't quite bring myself to be serious and grim, not when I was feeling lighter and happier than ever before. _

"_Well I don't feel right without at tan," I smiled at him sweetly. This was true. My tan was one of the few things I was proud of. Eric chuckled lightly at my answer, and continued to contemplate me, obviously waiting for me to continue._

_ All the while, his hand was making circles across my bare skin, making me shiver with delight and almost lose my train of thought. _

_I laughed with him, and insisted, "Well, it's true." Then I thought some more, trying not to be distracted by his beautiful, skilled hand, which was now caressing my neck. "I'd rather be alive than undead…and then y'all are always so cold and mean…" I trailed off, looking at him with tender reproach. _

_Now that I was here with him, I couldn't quite recall what truly made the idea so horrible. _

_He thought about what I said, and smiled at me, showing his gleaming fangs. _

"_You'd adapt, just like we all do…trade the sun for the moon and stars." _And me_, his eyes seemed to say silently, as his gaze darkened and his touch became more insistent and pleasing. _

"_Not me, I want it all," I teased, watching with interest as his hand threaded through my hair, almost the same color as his, and brought my head closer to his. _

_He leaned in and whispered across my neck, "oh, greedy." His full, sculpted lips began placing feather light kisses across my collarbone, neck, ear, then jaw, moving up to my chin, my cheeks, my eyelids…finally drifting to a centimeter from my parted mouth. _

"_I love it." His breath fanned my face, and as my breath hitched, his mouth descended on mine, and then he was kissing me. _

_Softly at first, then with increasing urgency, and I gave back as good as I got. Meanwhile, his hands, his smooth, large, _skilled_ hands began exploring my skin, dipping in every hill and valley, finally settling on my breasts. _

_I moaned into his mouth, and moved closer to him. He lifted his mouth from mine, and I gasped at the loss—but he was trailing kisses down my jaw, my ear, my neck…I looked down at him. _

_He was staring up at me, his eyes a dark, molten ice, his nostrils flaring, and opened his mouth, revealing two sharp fangs. He turned his gaze towards the pulsing artery in my neck, and with a hungry growl, swooped down…--_

I bolted up, in my own bed, my hand flying to my neck.

I stared around my room stupidly, the light filtering from my window, the familiar design of the wallpaper, the loveseat in the corner—and for a second, I despised it.

The second passed, however, and I sank back into my bed, forcing myself to think, _Thank god it was just a dream_. A small part of me, however, sighed in disappointment and wondered what it would have been like if my dream had been real…

_Thank you so much for reading—now, if you really want to make my day, you will press the magic green button. Remember, the more you review, the faster I update! :k_

_I am thinking of putting Bill in the fic- just thinking. What do you think? _

_Before you start throwing tomatoes and booing, I must add; there would be no romantic interaction b/w him and Sookie WHATSOEVER. But you have to admit, every good story must have an antagonist…_

_Thx! :k_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimers:**

**C. Harris owns SVM**

**TrueBlood is not mine**

_Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews and support- without you, this fic would not be alive. _

I awoke again around noon; sunlight was streaming through my window, bathing the room in a golden light. I felt very well-rested and stretched luxuriously. Just as I had suspected, Eric's blood had healed my back completely, and I didn't even feel any scabs. I smiled as I recalled my pleasant dream—Fantasy Eric was certainly very nice and caring, but he was just that; a fantasy. I laughed, a little ruefully, at the thought of cuddling up with the real Eric. I sighed. The dream was probably just my subconsciousness telling me I needed a man. At least, that's what Freud would say.

Schooling past high school was impossible for me because of my disability, so to make up for it, I read. A lot. Among the numerous books, which were my best friends when I was shunned by the "normal" populace, was Freud. Sometimes I thought that he must have been telepathic, like me. I mean, he certainly got the part about people always thinking about sex right. And he probably went mad from digging in the disgusting minds of people for so long, causing him to write his more ridiculous theories. I had even considered becoming a psychologist myself at one point, but decided that even I, with my shields, probably wouldn't be able to stand going into peoples' minds all day.

Shoving all thoughts Freud and Eric out of my head, I got out of bed quickly, marveling at how good I was feeling. Invincible, even. As if I could climb out my window, scale the wall to the roof, and run all the way to Shreveport. Fortunately, I was able to hold off the impulse, and instead padded to the bathroom. I took care of my human needs (I guess even vampire blood can't stop those) and hopped into the shower, discarding Eric's shirt and the nonexistent panties on the bathroom floor.

I got out of the water and started blow-drying my hair absentmindedly, thinking over my plan for the next two days before I went to Fangtasia again. Tonight I was free until 7:00 p.m., when I would have work until midnight. Until then, I planned to relax and sunbathe. I would probably stop by the library one of these days, to pick up Freud's book on the interpretation of dreams.

Something about my hair distracted me then. It felt heavier on my head, and longer in my hand. I slowly turned to the mirror over the sink, which I had ignored before this, and gasped.

My appearance had chanted—if not drastically, then enough to make me notice. My hair had changed the most; It was now thicker, longer by about three inches, and at least three shades lighter. Thankfully, it was the end of August now, so I could blame it on the sun. Looking at my face, I could see some subtler differences.

My blue eyes were almost unnaturally bright, the pupils dilated. My eyelashes were thicker and longer, like my hair, and stood out sharply against my skin, which was now smooth like never before and a shade less tan. My lips were redder and fuller, and parted to reveal gleaming white teeth. I looked like a walking health commercial.

The most disturbing thing, though, was that my skin was emitting a little glow; not quite as hard as the vampires, but enough for me to see it. I only hoped that it, like the glow of the vamps, would not be noticeable to humans.

I spent a few minutes contemplating ways to kill an undead being. Or at least hurt one. Then again, it could have been much worse—I could have been scarred, dead, or a vampire if it wasn't for Eric, and I wasn't sure which was worse.

I just hoped Eric didn't expect me to thank him any more. I felt that these freaky changes negated the fact that he saved my life and healed me. The fact that I agreed to work for him further paid him back, as I didn't think that a thousand dollars was very much to a vampire as old and powerful as him.

Sighing, I took one last look in the mirror, collected the "clothing" Eric had given me, and put on my little pink robe. I went back into my room and changed into some clean, comfortable clothing, then went down the stairs into the kitchen.

I found my Gran already there, bustling about the stove. In the hectic events last night, I had forgotten to call her. I could only hope that she had gone to sleep early. If not, then she probably thought that I had been with a man. Well, I had spent half the night with one, but not entirely the way she would think. My cheeks flushed as the embarrassment of last night came to my mind.

Gran turned around, smiled warmly when she saw me standing there, and gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek. She sat me down at the table, ignoring my protests, and started fixing me a big breakfast. While she was cracking eggs into the frying pan, she noted the change in my appearance, "Sookie, you are just glowing. Have you been out last night?" Her implication that I was glowing from post-orgasmic bliss made me blush. I had been expecting her question, however, and decided to humor her, telling her I'd had a date. I was tired of disappointing her with my anti-social behavior.

"Yeah, I did, Gran." I hoped she would drop the subject, but she looked at me over her shoulder with a huge smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, Sookie, dear, I just knew you'd find someone. What is the gentleman's name?"

I snorted at the thought of Eric being a gentleman. No one could be farther from the status than him. I wondered whether to tell her about him, as I couldn't stand it if she invited him to lunch. For one thing, he'd probably burn. I briefly indulged myself in fantasizing Eric in flames at our lunch table in the back yard. The table would probably burn, too, though, which would be a pity.

Gran was still staring at me with an expectant smile, and I hastily recalled her question.

"Oh, his name is Eric Northman, and he owns a bar in Shreveport, the one I went to with Tara and Arlene." Oh, damn. In my daydreaming, I had forgotten not to mention him.

Gran, however, was ecstatic. She sighed happily, and continued to busy herself at the stove, now making me toast. Then she hesitated.

"But Sookie, your gift…" She trailed off. Gran knew about my so-called "gift", of course, but she was very discreet about mentioning it, knowing it was a sore subject for me. She also neither hated nor avoided me because of it, either, and for that I loved her. Because of her courtesy, I never went into Gran's mind.

At her soft, apprehensive tone, I just couldn't hold the news in.

"Gran, the most wonderful thing happened. When I first met Eric, I peeked inside his mind and heard—nothing. His mind is blank to me, absolutely quiet. I have never enjoyed such peace before…its so relaxing!" I was just giddy with the excitement of having someone else know my happiness and understand it.

She looked startled, and then smiled in pure pleasure. "Oh, dear, I am so happy for you. You deserve this," She said softly, then came over and gave me a loving hug. I hugged her back, and was encouraged by our tender moment to ask another question, one that had been plaguing me even before I discovered the vampires.

"Gran…do you ever think…that there could be something _more_ out there? I mean, it my disability exists, even though people think that's impossible, there _must_ be some other things? At least more people like me…"

She stiffened for a split second during my question, but I dismissed it when she stepped back and kissed my forehead.

"Sookie, the world is too big to only hold humans. Just because most are too narrow-minded to accept differences and something beyond their knowledge does not mean that there is nothing there. And besides, knowing you and living with you like I do, how could I not believe in the supernatural? Yes, I do believe there is much more out there than meets the average human eye. And I'm sure that someday, you will find your way into this supernatural, magical world, with your ability, and find your place in this universe. I only hope you will have more luck than I did." She muttered that last part almost inaudibly, so I decided I just have imagined it.

I blinked back tears of gratitude at her understanding and said quickly, "Thanks, Gran."

She stepped away from me after giving me one last squeeze; and just in time, too, as the eggs were about to burn.

I ate my breakfast and went upstairs to get my sunbathing things while Gran took out her rusty old iron trowel and rake, getting ready to go into her garden. For all that she looked frail, with her wrinkly face, a shock of hair so white it almost had a greenish tinge, and stooped figure, Gran was far from handicapped by her old age, and spent hours in the garden, tending to her plants.

Grabbing my sunscreen, a mystery novel, and my sunglasses from my room, I went outside. I set up the folding chair in the yard, and settled in for a long tanning session. Eric's blood had left me a bit paler than usual, and I intended to fix that before work tonight. Fortunately, I tanned quickly, so I would be able to reach my usual golden tan before long.

I don't know when I fell asleep; one minute I was lounging in a folding chair in my yard, the next I was running through dark woods. I had on a transparent white night shift, and my hair was flying wildly about me. A strange urgency raced through my veins, the desperate need to find something—or someone—before it was too late. I spun around, and started running in another direction, without truly seeing where I was going.

The ground under my feet was still warm from the hot sun that had set only a while ago, and my legs were whipped and scratched by the undergrowth blurring past me. I ran harder with each step, growing more urgent by the second.

Then, in front of me, I saw a blurry figure bathed in golden light. I stumbled, then gathered my remaining strength and started running towards it. With each step, it took on more shape. Broad shoulders, slim hips, long legs tightly encased in black leather…wheat-colored hair, striking glacial eyes, a full-lipped, generous smile…The golden halo had receded to his usual cold glow, the one I saw on all of his kind.

I didn't have any more thoughts because the next second I slammed into Eric with all the strength of a freight train. He didn't stumble though; instead, his long, strong arms encased me in a protective embrace.

Immediately, all my feelings of urgency melted away, replaced by a deep, contented calm, as if I knew my place in the world. There was also an undercurrent of something else—lust.

As I realized that, I brought my face up from his naked chest, and tilted my head up at him. He needed no further encouragement, and swiftly brought his beautiful face to mine. As our lips touched, there was an electric current running between us; thunder clapped and we were pelted with warm rain that soaked my already transparent nightgown. Our kiss intensified with the rain, and soon there was nothing else in the world for me but the feel of Eric's smooth tongue lapping languorously at mine. His mouth fought for domination with mine, and was doing all he could to win—licking, biting, and sucking. An underhanded technique, to be sure, but one that I enjoyed immensely. I had to break away for air all too soon, and then decided to return the favor from earlier—I kissed my way down his strong jaw with a hint of stubble, his smooth neck, the wide span of his shoulder. My mouth reached his nipple, and I latched on. I bit him, and the fierce growl in his throat was more striking than the thunder rolling above us.

He roughly brought my mouth up to his again, and kissed me with absolute abandon. Eric slowly started lowering us to the still-warm, wet ground. He spread me on the mossy carpet and looked at me with such a fierce longing, my breath stuck in my throat. He lay gently on top of me, and spread my wet thighs with his leg. I could feel his long erection against me, and that aroused me further. His eyes bored holes in mine, and he opened his beautiful mouth, and I caught a glimpse of fang.

"Sookie, I—"

I was startled awake by the sound of my brother Jason's truck rumbling through our driveway. Incredibly frustrated and feeling incomplete, for some reason, I waited for my dear older brother to announce himself.

_Please let me know what you think—remember, all reviews are received with welcome; constructive criticism, comments, applause, praise, offers of souls for the next chapter…:k_

_The more reviews I get, the faster I will update. _

_Thanks, _

_And with love, as always :k -vihnngaigh_


	9. Chapter 9

_Thank you all for reading—your reviews are so gratifying. We have reached 200 at last! *cheer* _

_As you will see, I have added many characters in this chapter—I hope it will not be too confusing. _

_And now, without further ado—chapter 9._

**C. Harris owns SVM, and TrueBlood is not mine.**

As Jason hopped down from his beloved truck, I took a moment to study him. He was handsome, to be sure; at least in the minds of the women of Bon Temps. From what I could tell, which, unfortunately for me, was quite a lot, Jason had at one point slept with more than half the female population of our little town. I could see him in their minds—blue eyes, bright smile, blonde hair, and the muscle he got from working in the road crew; they all painted a pretty picture. No one could see the selfishness behind the smile, which astounded me sometimes.

He could sure be mean, too, but most women were willing to overlook that.

Nor was he the sharpest tool in the shed, which was part of the reason why none of his relationships lasted more than a few weeks at most. That and the fact that monogamy was not in his dictionary. Along with some other generally important words.

I knew I was being pretty harsh on my brother, but frankly, he deserved it. He was always rather embarrassed to have such a strange little sister—he loved me, of course, but he just couldn't deal with the idea that I could read his mind, so he always pretended my disability didn't exist.

Our parents had died in a flash flood when I was seven and Jason was ten. He tried to take care of me like an older brother should, he really did. He beat up the kids who made fun of me when I couldn't yet control my telepathy, and he taught me to shoot, climb trees, and fight, among other things children generally do.

But when the children at school started laughing at and shunning him, too, well… that was too much for my dear brother. I really couldn't blame him for leaving me and hanging out with the popular kids. Besides his looks, that was all he had. I felt happy for him when I saw his joy at being accepted, and the other kids slowly started leaving me alone after that, because they knew that I was related to one of the members of the popular pack. Sometimes, though, I wished I had a real older brother, one who would always stand beside me, care for me, and protect me from the unparalleled cruelty of little children.

After Jason became of age, he took our parents' house, while I stayed with Gran. After that, I usually only saw him when he needed something, during holidays, and at the bar. Which brought us to his reason for visiting today.

Jason stalked over to where I was lounging and loomed over me, casting a shadow. The epitome of coolness, I peered up at him over my sunglasses and said the obvious in a sarcastic tone, "You are blocking my sun, Jason."

He snorted, and demanded angrily, not budging an inch: "Why didn't you tell me you were going to a bar last night? Where's Gran, by the way?" he added belatedly.

Containing my indignation and confusion, I said, "In the garden. She's fixing your favorite dinner today, too, in case you want to stay over."

Jason looked pleased for a second, as I had known he would, and then went back to his 'brotherly' interrogation, "Why did you go to that bar yesterday? And the second time in two nights! What sort of business could you have there?"

He sounded strangely anxious at that, but I didn't notice it just then, as I was furious with his implications.

"What do you mean, 'what sort of business'? Jason Stackhouse, are you implying I am a whore? And what business of yours is it whether I go to bars or not? I work in one, for heavens sake! And if you will recall, you go to one at least a few times a week." He managed to look embarrassed at that, but said, "Its not bars in general, just…that bar. I…got a bad feeling about Fangtasia. Even though I've never been there before."

He looked uncertain, though, and I peeked in his mind. Everything was fine, for Jason at least; but when I got to his memories and thoughts on Fangtasia, everything was a bit fuzzy, like the policeman's mind. I glanced at his neck, which was exposed by the working tank top he was wearing, and sighed in relief. No marks. But I was certain that he had been to the bar, and filed that information away to look over later.

Something else was on my mind now, "How did you know about it?"

Jason said, "Sam Merlotte approached me today and asked if I had heard from you, and then told me about Fangtasia. Seemed almost worried, now that I think of it." Jason summoned his most thoughtful expression to his face.

I growled to myself. "Sam Merlotte has no sense of privacy, honestly."

"That he does not," agreed Gran's voice from behind me. I had been so caught up in the conversation, I had not heard her coming up.

I have to give Jason credit; whenever he sees Gran, he always jumps up and gives her a hug.

"That Sam Merlotte. Called three times this morning, asking where you were. I didn't want to wake you, dear, so I told him you had been on a date and were sleeping now. He just hung up on me and that was that," Gran told me.

"Jason, are you staying for dinner today? I made your favorite," she addressed him as I was mulling over Sam's response and his questions.

Jason still looked worried, glanced at me briefly, and answered, "Not today. Me and the guys are going to go to Hot Shot today." _To look for women_, he might have added, but didn't. It was already obvious.

So we waved goodbye to him and he drove away, and only after that did I remember that Hot Shot was the town of the Were-Panthers.

I figured he could take care of himself, so I left it at that and resolved to call him by the end of my shift just to make sure he was okay.

After a quick trip upstairs to change my clothing, I went down into the kitchen and prepared the table for dinner. Gran put roasted vegetables and chicken on my plate and sat down with me for our meal. I contemplated Sam's strange worry, and wondered why he told Jason that I went to Fangtasia. Probably some misguided attempt to protect me from the vampires. What he didn't understand, though, was that I didn't want to be protected from them. They didn't treat me like a freak, which should be reason enough—in fact, they even praised and valued my disability, even paying me for using it. Their minds were silent to me, which relaxed me like nothing ever had before. They were beautiful, and their glow was very attractive and soothing. Vampires were a minority, like me, and had to hide their true nature. Outcasts, which was certainly something I could sympathize with. If their politics were a bit strange and their manner imperious and superior, who was I to judge? They certainly treated me better than any human, so maybe their superior attitude was justified.

Gran interrupted my musing, "So, when do I get to meet him?"

I was startled, "Meet who?"

"Eric, of course. You didn't think I would miss meeting this man who has finally won your favor?'

I was both dismayed and amused as I imagined Eric sitting in our living room, making small talk with my grandmother and sipping sweet tea. I was tired of disappointing Gran with my lack of dates to bring home, however; I decided right then and then to bring Eric into our home. Maybe we could work out some sort of compromise—I would work for him, and he would come over to pretend to be my date. I resolved to call him as soon as I was able.

"Oh, I don't know. I am going out with him again tomorrow night, so I suppose then is as good a night as any." Now all that was left was to prevent Gran from noticing that my 'date' only came at night, was extremely pale, and cold to the touch. No problem.

Gran looked pleased as punch, and changed the subject.

"Sookie, dear, your cousin Hadley is coming here to stay with us for a few days sometime this week—I took the liberty of calling her today. She has such horrid luck with men, even worse than you; I thought it would be good for her to see your new man, and maybe to meet some of his friends. Hadley is pretty far into her pregnancy right now, from that man Remy Savoy, but maybe after that, she could start over."

I groaned internally, as Hadley had made my life hell in high school. She was one of the few people who openly acknowledged my disability; only unlike the others, she humiliated me for it and tried to use me. One word to describe her was 'skank', another—'bitch'. She wore skimpy clothes, mostly in black colors, and had as snarky an attitude as any. The fact that she was eight months pregnant did not stop her from flirting with every man and woman around, which was probably why she and Remy were divorced.

I would endure the few days with her, if only to please Gran. If she was going to be bitchy again, though, I would not be held accountable for my actions.

It was 6:30, which just gave me enough time to get ready for work and call Eric. I quickly washed and dried the dishes, and went to the telephone in the living room, wiping my hands on the way. Looking in the yellow phone book, I quickly located the number of Fangtasia and dialed. After a few rings, a human girl answered, trying to make her voice sound low and seductive like that of the vampires.

"Fangtasia, the bar with a bite." I had to chuckle at the hidden meaning, and then asked for Eric.

"I'm sorry; Master Eric does not take calls at this hour." I rolled my eyes and said, "Tell him its Sookie Stackhouse. I think he will take it." At least, if he was smart and wanted me to work for him, he would.

I heard the sound changing in the background as the girl carried the phone to Eric's office and knocked on the door. I heard her say in a simpering, breathy voice, "Master Eric, Sookie Stackhouse on the phone for you." A second later, I had Eric's smooth voice purring in my ear, and it was as if a weight I didn't know I had lifted off my shoulders all of a sudden. I felt lightweight and incredibly giddy, like a fifteen-year-old girl. I did the natural thing, then, and suppressed the feeling.

"Hello, my lover. What makes you call me, not that I don't appreciate it?"

I snorted. "For one thing, I am not your lover, Eric."

He immediately contradicted me, "But you will be, rest assured."

For some reason, that made me blush uncomfortably, and a warm sensation made its way down my stomach. I stamped that out, and went back to business.

"Eric, I want to make a deal with you." I could feel his attention sharpening on the other end of the line, and sighed. This would be embarrassing. I looked around to make sure Gran wasn't anywhere near and continued.

"You see, my grandmother is…under the misapprehension that you and I are…er, together. I am not very social, and I really don't want to disappoint her again or burst her bubble. So here is the deal—I will do this thing for you for free this one time, and in return you will…um, pretend to be my boyfriend." I said it all in a rush, and hoped that he understood, because I could not bear to repeat it. I was already doubting my decision to ask him this, but I also didn't want my Gran to disapprove of me anymore.

There was silence on the other end. Then Eric spoke, and his voice was amused.

"In other words, you want me to pose as your lover in front of your Grandmother without actually being intimate with you, and in return you will let me use your gift free for one night, is that correct?"

I nodded mutely, then remembered that I was on the phone and said in a small voice, "yes."

If silence can be characterized, Eric's was thoughtful.

"Yes. But on one condition. When we are in the presence of your grandmother, you _will_ act the part of my lover; and you will give me a kiss." The strange, almost childish request sounded odd coming out of the powerful vampire's mouth, but didn't appear too malicious or dangerous, unless you considered spontaneous combustion dangerous.

"Deal," I agreed, and Eric repeated the word in a firm tone.

"Okay, then. So, you will come by my house around 8:00?"

"I would be delighted," Eric answered.

"Oh, and by the way, Sookie—I would have loved to be your escort even without a deal; but since you so graciously made one, I thought it might be rude to refuse."

And on that note, he hung up, leaving me with my mouth hanging open.

I shook my head in wry amusement at Eric's manipulation and went upstairs to change into my work clothes. I put on light make up, my uniform, and put my hair up in its extra-tight ponytail—and I was ready.

I kissed Gran goodbye and went outside. My car was in the front of the house; Eric must have moved it from the driveway last night after dropping me off.

Parking my car at Merlotte's, I got out and went inside. After I put on my apron, I saw Sam behind the bar and stalked over to him. I could understand why he had called my house and told Jason about Fangtasia, but that did not mean I was okay with it.

"Can I speak with you for a moment?" I hissed at him and, without waiting for a reply, grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt and propelled him into his office.

I shut the door behind me and faced him, my hands on my hips, a scowl on my face.

"Sam Merlotte, what gives you the right to call my brother and tell him I went to a bar? I am not a child, nor am I stupid. I do not need to be chaperoned, least of all by you!"

Sam looked ashamed of himself, as he should; and tried to defend himself.

"But, Sookie, I didn't know where you were—for all I knew, you could have been abducted by those damn bloodsuckers for your gift. I had to make sure you were ok!"

"Again, Sam, I am a grown woman, and I can take care of myself. I know why you did what you did, but I really don't want Jason involved in all this."

He acknowledged this with a nod, and then stared at me curiously.

"Did you highlight your hair?"

I laughed nervously, and said as lightly as I could, "Been out in the sun, that's all."

Sam looked like he believed me, and then there was an awkward pause. I was suddenly aware of our proximity. Heat was radiating off him in waves, and the air between us crackled. His blue eyes drew me in, reminding me of another, more glacial blue. My nipples tightened and my breath started coming out in short gasps. I knew that his erection was growing, and a not-quite-human growl rumbled in his chest. He took a step closer and the door banged open, causing us to jump away from each other. Charlsie Tootsen burst in, all happy energy, and paused for a moment.

"Did I interrupt something?" she asked uncertainly, and I wondered how we looked. Flushed, probably, but nothing beyond that- we didn't get that far, thank god. I was extremely embarrassed all of a sudden, and said, "Nothing at all." Then I escaped the tight little room, hearing Charlsie ask Sam for time off to visit her daughter, and his strained answer.

I burst into the kitchen and leaned against the door, panting heavily. Lafayette, our short-order cook, asked me, "Are you alright, Sook?" Lafayette was black and proud of it, and blatantly gay—he wore bright colors and glitter, painted his nails, and wore makeup, the whole deal. He was also one of my only real friends- probably because he was an outcast himself- so I answered him as normally as possible.

"Yes, fine—just a little run in with Sam, that's all."

He looked at me appraisingly, "Well, you look fine—did you highlight your hair? You are just glowing. Cut those lemons for me, by the way, since you're here."

I took the bowl of thirty or so lemons and limes, and answered his comment, "Thanks. I've been out in the sun, is all. What's up?"

He laughed and said, ignoring my question, "Bullshit. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were on V- you have that glow people have after using it, if they have the real thing. But that's ridiculous, few people know about it…" He mused to himself.

My curiosity was piqued, though, and since I knew he wouldn't tell me anything, I peeked in his mind. What I got was a shock—not only did Lafayette know about vampires, but he sold their blood on the black market for incredible prices. Apparently, it was like Viagra and a whole bunch of other stuff rolled into one—it increased the libido, made people more attractive, healed, and sharpened the senses. Well, it explained me, then. I would have a nice long chat with Eric later, that was for sure.

I looked up from my thoughts to see Lafayette staring at me in astonishment. I looked at my hands, and there were all the lemons and all the limes, sliced and quartered. In about thirty seconds. I closed my eyes and took I deep breath.

"Tell me I didn't see that." Lafayette's voice was a hushed whisper.

"You didn't, I said calmly, then put all the lemons and limes into separate baggies, trying not to see how many of them there were. I wiped my juice-stained hands on my apron and walked out, if on unsteady legs, to the bar area.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully, thankfully, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I got back home. I made my way upstairs and peeked into Gran's room. She was sitting in her bed, looking exceptionally old and frail against the pillows; her white hair was down from its bun and surrounded her like a halo. Gran was reading Danielle Steele—if there is anything Gran likes, its Danielle Steele. She watched all her soaps and read all her books, and generally acted like a fan.

"Danielle Steele again?" I asked. Gran looked up from her book and smiled fondly at me.

"That woman sure knows how to tell a story."

I went over to peck her cheek and say goodnight. Then I remembered something.

"Oh, and I spoke to Eric- he will be here tomorrow around 8:00. We are going out." I tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible, and I think I succeeded.

Gran beamed, and wished me goodnight. I shut off the overhead light on my way out of her room, and closed the door. I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and changed into my softest nightgown. Without any further ado I snuggled into bed, took the band out of my tight ponytail, shut off the light, and went to sleep.

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_(please) _

_I promise, more Eric next chapter! the faster you review, the faster I update, and the more sexy viking you get!  
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_Lots of love, -Vihnngaigh_


	10. Chapter 10

**SVM belong to C. Harris, and TrueBlood is not mine. **

_Thank you all for reviewing so quickly and plentifully. My orgasm jar is full now:)_

_I split this chapter into two parts because it was so long—but I have the next part written out, so I will probably be able to post it either today or tomorrow. Thank you—enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 10

When I woke up the next morning, my head was swimming with images of Eric and his sweet caresses, his soft voice rang in my ears. While I was still miffed at Eric for trying to manipulate me through me dreams and his blood, I had started to look forward to the dreams; they were a wonderful escape from reality and were becoming a bit of an addiction. One thing I was sure about; if they continued much longer, my sentimental heart would conspire against me with my aching libido, and together they would make me end up knocking on Eric's door one night, still in my nightgown, of course, and beg him to take me. I snorted at the mental image of Eric looking at me in surprise and that self-satisfied way of his as I tried to jump the thousand-year-old vampire.

Not that he would object, of course. I had no idea why he was so interested in me, though. He could probably have his pick from any number of women, being as attractive, rich, and powerful as he was. What he would want with someone like me was a mystery; I was nothing but an uneducated, telepathic barmaid from Louisiana. Maybe he was just leading me on, pretending to like me, so that he could use my ability. The thought made my eyes prickle.

_No_, I told myself forcefully. I would not allow myself to put myself down again, as I had my whole life. If Eric had only wanted me for my disability, he could have done a number of other things to ensure my cooperation. He could threaten those I loved, or blackmail me, or really do anything at all. I shivered at the thought of just how Eric could control me. But he must feel at least some attraction to me if he went through all that trouble to give me his blood and seduce me. As far as I could tell from Lafayette's mind, vampire blood was a very expensive and sought-after drug on the blackest of black markets, because it was rarely given willingly; mostly, people called 'drainers' had to catch a vampire unawares, which was rare, drain him while holding him with silver, and then kill him, so that he couldn't get revenge on them. Which made Eric's actions very rare in the vampire world. He either wanted an emotional bond with me handy, or it was deeper than I thought.

In any case, while I resolved to be extra-careful, I knew that there was really nothing to do other than go along with it and see how it played out. Not a little bit of my decision was influenced by my weariness of fighting my attraction to Eric, of course, but I decided to ignore that part of my decision.

Suddenly in light spirits, I got out of bed and performed my morning rituals. I had asked Sam for the day off and as I had rarely made such a request, he agreed. So now I had the whole day free until Eric came to pick me up at 8:00.

_I was not doing this for Eric's benefit_, I told myself stoutly as I, after a quick breakfast with Gran, spent the whole day pampering myself. I bathed and scrubbed and moisturized until my skin was glowing with more than just the aftereffects of Eric's blood. My nails were painted a brilliant red, and I decided to wear a low-cut red blouse that brought out my tan and emphasized the fullness of my breasts. Then I pulled on tight black jeans that had been too small for me just last week but now, slimmer after taking Eric's blood, I was able to squeeze into. I decided against wearing a skirt in the end, because I just didn't know what my work would entail. No, I was not doing this for Eric at all.

Still, by the time eight rolled around, I was a jumble of nerves, and not even a second relaxing bath had been able to soothe me. Gran'd had us cleaning the house for half the day, so now the house was aparkling clean. I doubted very much that Eric would be interested in the cleanliness of our curtains, but I had yet to persuade Gran about that.

I heard the knock on the door just as I was checking under the couch for dust bunnies, and I was so startled, I knocked my elbow on a chair leg. Wincing and trying to keep the curses inside, I scrambled to my feet and went to the door. I took a deep, calming breath, which didn't help much, and finally opened it.

Eric's bright eyes melted and smoldered at me atop his 6'4" frame, and it was all I could do to keep from swooning like the heroine in my favorite book. All my tension and worries seemed to fade away as I stared into those glacial blues; at least, until he gave a slight smirk and I realized I'd been staring. I straightened my back and stepped aside, freeing the doorway for him. Still he didn't move, just kept smiling pleasantly at me.

"You have to invite me in, Sookie," he said a bit condescendingly, as if I were a slightly slow five-year-old who had forgotten basic addition. I didn't feel five, though, as I shivered lightly at the seductive flow of his voice and a feeling of pure pleasure filled me. Then what he was saying filtered through the lusty haze in my head.

"Oh! – you are welcome to come inside, Eric." I hoped it would do, and was relieved when he stepped over the threshold into the house. As he passed me, I caught a whiff of his scent with my newly sensitive nostrils; dry like the vampire and an indescribable scent of something so purely masculine, it made my mouth water. My head spun and a strong wave of lust washed over me. I remembered the fact that he could feel my emotions just in time, though, and put up my shields as quickly as possible. I think I managed to keep him from feeling most of the lust I felt, and hoped this would prevent him from being able to send some unwanted emotions my way.

My inner hostess snapped into place as I pushed my lust and attraction deep into the back of my head, and I said graciously, "Would you like to go into the living room?" in a way that would make Gran proud. Eric followed me to the couch where I had only recently been checking for dust bunnies, and sat down next to me.

Just then, Gran floated out of the kitchen, carrying a tray with glasses of iced tea. In honor of our guest, she had pulled her hair up into a complicated composition on the top of her head, put in her nicest earrings, and even put on some make-up. She carried herself with all the dignity of a queen, and was as hospitable as only an old Southern lady can be.

She set the glasses down on the table in front of us, and looked up at Eric with a gracious smile playing at her lips; then she paled. In the next second, though, she had regained her composure, and introduced herself politely as my Grandmother.

"Eric, it is such a pleasure to finally meet you at last," she said brightly. "I often was afraid that our Sookie here would never find someone, and I am so glad that you proved me wrong."

I cringed internally at her insinuation that I was undesirable, but outwardly managed to retain my polite smile, though my cheeks felt like they would crack.

Some of my irritation must have sneaked through my restraints, because Eric took my hand in his and started tracing soothing circles with his thumb, and answered Gran, "Oh, I find it very hard to believe that a woman as beautiful and intelligent as Sookie would not have many suitors knocking on her door."

I felt a warm rush of gratitude (along with a warm rush of something entirely different as Eric's thinb massaged my hand to sweet oblivion). Gran beamed at Eric; if she hadn't loved him before just for taking me out, she did now.

With my gratitude to Eric I remembered my promise to act friendly, and decided to get it over with then. I put a happy, sweet smile on my face and simpered, "Oh, darling, that is so sweet!" Then I gave him a kiss.

Of course, late I realized that I'd only wanted to startle him out of his cool control. And, admittedly, have another taste of that Viking goodness that made my stomach flutter and shivers run down my back. What I hadn't taken into account, however, was just how hard it was to startle a thousand-year-old vampire.

It seemed Eric had been waiting for just this. As soon as my lips touched his in what was meant to be a light peck, his hand snaked with inhuman speed around my neck, holding me in place, and his tongue swooped against mine, taking everything I had and more. As soon as out mouths made contact, a feeling of lust overcame me that was so strong, it took all I had not to whimper. My knees turned to jelly and had I not been sitting down, I would have fallen. As Eric's smooth, strong, and capable tongue dominated my mouth, and I was just about ready to rip his clothes off and have my wicked way with him right there and there, I heard a light, amused cough in front of us.

With that small sound, all my common sense rushed back into my poor head, and I wasn't sure whether to laugh in relief or cry in frustration. I ripped my lips from Eric's, and my whole body screamed at me. I hadn't had that strong a reaction even before, in Eric's office that night at Fangtasia, and a profound sense of loss enveloped me. Hastily, before I lost my already weak resolve, I scooted away from Eric,(who was looking mightily satisfied with himself and not a bit repentant, I might add), and peeked self-consciously at Gran. She had been sitting there, unnoticed by us, for the entire performance, and was now looking at me quite sternly. But I caught the glint of amusement in her eyes and the twitch of her lips, and sighed in relief that she wasn't angry. Apparently, as long as I had a physical relationship, she didn't care if it occasionally manifested itself in front of her.

Instead, she just smiled indulgently at us and offered us tea.

I glanced at Eric to see if he would drink the tea, and realized that was a mistake. His eyes burned through me, pierced my soul with just a glance on his part, as he took the glass of tea and touched his lips politely to the edge, never taking his eyes off mine. I wondered briefly what would happen if he actually drank it, then blinked and turned away from him to Gran, who was offering me my own glass. We sat there for a while in silence, Gran and I sipping the tea, and Eric simply holding his. When the silence grew a bit uncomfortable, Gran seemed to get the idea that she was keeping two lovebirds apart and started fussing. She would never be one to run anyone off or be inhospitable in any way, of course. But she did make some clear signs that made me stand, take Eric's hand firmly in my own, making him rise fluidly to his own considerable height, and tell her that we should get going.

Eric gave Gran a beautiful smile and said in his most gentlemanly voice, "It was a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

Gran blushed like she was young again, and laughed in delight, "Oh, he _is_ a charmer, this one. You be sure to keep him, Sookie." Then she turned to Eric. "You take care of my granddaughter, you hear, boy? You hurt her, and a pack of vicious fairies will seem mild after I am through with you." I looked at Eric to see if he made any sense of her strange words, but he just nodded impassively and said gravely, "I will."

A look passed between them, and then it was gone. Frustrated that Gran and Eric were sharing something I wasn't part of, I tried to get things going. "Gran, thanks a lot, but we really need to get going. We are running late as it is." On impulse, I gave her a fierce hug, and whispered another "thanks" in her ear. I felt Eric's amusement beside me, but didn't quite care as Gran waved at us and closed the door behind her.

As soon as I heard the click of the lock, I turned to Eric, saying, "Well, that was just---"

I was caught off because my mouth was suddenly being assaulted in a very urgent manner by lips, tongue, and fangs. My protest died before it could formulate in my head, much less get past my suddenly gloriously busy mouth. Eric's hands were traveling up and down my body all at once (a very nice benefit to dating a vampire, I'm sure), and finally settled on my breasts. Whatever I had been going to say somehow managed to transform itself into a deep moan, and then it was my fingertips that were exploring the span of his perfectly sculpted torso, skimming lightly over his sharply ridged stomach, and delighting when he shuddered at my touch. It was empowering to know I could affect someone so deeply with just my touch. My hands found his nipples and pinched lightly. Eric hissed,

and suddenly the porch lights turned off, the unexpected darkness bringing my mind with it. I stepped back and Eric let me, though he emitted another hiss—one of frustration. I looked in horror between us, and shook my head in disappointment at my lack of self-control.

"This won't happen again," I insisted, though my voice came out all dark and throaty, even when I cleared my throat. Eric gave me his trademark, devastating smirk of his and said easily, "You just keep telling yourself that. Though why you insist on it, I don't know—you obviously want me, so why not satisfy both our needs?"

I let out a frustrated breath. "Because it doesn't mean the same thing to you as it does to me. I don't give my virginity lightly, especially to just be another mark on your bedpost. Besides, I don't know how much of this is me and how much is the blood thing—for all I know, you could be altering my emotions." There, I said it, my greatest fear.

Eric countered, "Regardless of what it means, couldn't we just do it to satisfy and enjoy ourselves? I will never understand why you humans need to complicate everything so. As for the blood bond- it gives you no new emotions, only enhances those you have already. Even if it did- I'm sure you could find a way to block it, as you do the thoughts of the humans around you."

"Okay, I see your point, I guess, and I can see why you think that. But that is your view and this is mine. Don't expect me to just jump into bed with you only because you cleared a few things up. I'm not that kind of woman," I emphasized.

Eric smirked. "Well, I will still try, and you know how powerful my persuasion methods can be." He waggled his blonde eyebrows at me suggestively and managed to look very self- assured and cocky doing it.

I laughed, and the tension was broken. "Oh, you," I said fondly, and started down the stairs.

Eric said simply, "Yes." He took my hand in an oddly friendly gesture, and so we walked companionably to his car. He opened the door for me, still acting the gentleman, and we were off into the night.

_ before you grumble about the long spaces in between chapters, I wanted to remind you that this was originally only half of the chapter. I have divided it into two parts because it was too long and I wanted to give you an earlier update for all your wonderful reviews. I have already written out the other half, and now I just need to type it up—which I will probably do today or tomorrow. I will put aside all my mountains of work and try to put it up ASAP. _

_Review please, for it will make all my efforts worthwhile—and will result in more Eric/Sookie action)))_

_Thank you, -Vihnngaih :k  
_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: C. Harris owns SVM, TrueBlood is not mine**

**Chapter 11**

The wind was flying through my hair as Eric almost recklessly sped down the road. Except from my worry about his speed, which kept my hand clenched around the door handle at every turn, I was uncharacteristically relaxed in Eric's presence. I suspected he might have a small part in this, but I decided to let it go for the moment and only tightened my shields.

I didn't want to go in there completely unprepared, so I asked Eric curiously, "So what exactly will I be doing?"

He glanced at me, which was frightening, as he was going over a hundred miles an hour.

"I need to make sure my employees are trustworthy, first of all. Then, if you can, you will need to find who has been handing over private information to the Sheriff of Area 2 and trying to discredit me. The information is quite valuable, and the sheriff threatens to turn it over to the Queen of Louisiana to discredit me. I need to find the human who did this."

Boy, somebody had a death wish. Then something else caught my attention, and I started laughing.

"Did you just say, 'Queen of Louisiana'? Y'all have _royalty_?"

Eric looked offended, and answered stiffly, "Yes, every state has a king or a queen. I am sheriff of Area 5 of Louisiana, and Sophie-Anne is Queen of this state. We used to call the areas kingdoms, but we figured that is too medieval, so they are now areas."

I didn't want to offend him further, so I changed the subject. "How do you know the culprit was human?"

Eric was scornful. "No vampire would be stupid enough to cross me." Then he seemed thoughtful. "But, if none of the humans turn out to be guilty, I suppose I will have to look at Pam and Longshadow, as they are closest to me. They will be sorry if either has done it." There was a dark, cold sort of energy around him now, and I shivered. I never wanted to be on the receiving side of Eric's anger. Right then I was mightily glad he wanted me for my gift and my irresistible appeal, such as it was.

While we had been talking, the ride had passed without me noticing, and we were at the Fangtasia parking lot. Ever the gentleman, it seemed, Eric once more opened the door for me after blurring out of his own; or, he thought that human women were incapable of managing such tediously mundane tasks. I rolled my eyes at him, thinking it was highly likely for him to think just that; he was that much estranged from humanity. I stepped out into the cool night air, and we headed towards the back exit. Eric held my elbow and had his other hand on the small of my back, propelling me forward lest, God forbid, I get lost or escape.

I could hear the music in the bar, the pulse pounding heavily; Fangtasia must still be open. Eric led me down the corridor to his office, where Pam was waiting for us just outside his door. When she saw me, a devious expression crossed her face and she leered at me.

"Well, if it isn't our delicious little waitress." She looked me over like I was a piece of meat; to her, I was probably as close to a steak as you could get. Pam took in my tight jeans and pretty blouse and affected a pretty pout. "I must say, your attire last time you visited was much more pleasing to me," she said, referring to the night I had tried my hand at being a nudist after being attacked by a drugged Were. Then she brightened. "But I suppose we can remedy that soon." She smiled lustily at me, showing a hint of fang, and laughed in delight at my embarrassment. Pam would have continued her teasing had Eric not simply raised an eyebrow and said her name in a calm voice, "Pam." She looked surprised for a second, like a spoiled child being refused a small fancy, but stepped aside and let me in the office.

Inside the office, I saw the bartender I had glimpsed on my first trip to Fangtasia. He was a Native American Indian, with a straight line for a mouth and dark eyes. He smiled sharply at me when he saw me enter, and I caught a glimpse of a half-distended fang. I thought to myself that I liked his mouth better when it was a straight line, but put up my nervous smile and suppressed my shudder. I guess this was the Lusting After Sookie Night on the vamp calendar. I didn't know what to do with all this sexual preoccupation those vampires seemed to have with me; I was certainly not used to it from human men, because of my disability.

Eric introduced us.

"Sookie, this is Longshadow, the bar-tender at Fangtasia. Longshadow, this is Miss Stackhouse, and she will be reading the human staff tonight." He'd moved closer behind me and looked threateningly at Longshadow; he apparently didn't appreciate another male vampire threatening what he considered his. Longshadow got the message, though, because he just nodded at me politely and said, "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Stackhouse." I nodded at him too; clearly, not all vampires were as touchy-feely as Eric.

A new thought then entered my head and I turned to Eric, asking, "What do you usually do in such situations?"

He shrugged carelessly. "Death or torture, although that is a waste-- which is why we would prefer to use you." He said 'death and torture' as calmly as anything, as though it were a trifle matter. I shivered thinking about what kind of existence must have produced such casualty, and resolved once again never to allow myself to be turned.

I questioned further, "And what will you do if I find the culprit?"

Eric looked at me closely and said carefully and smoothly, "Turn him over to the police, of course." He looked very sincere and innocent; I didn't trust him for a second.

I put my hands on my hips and looked him in the eye, knowing I was taking a gamble.

"Tell you what. You really give me your word that you will actually turn the guilty over to the police without harming them, physically or otherwise, and I will do this again for you, anytime you like."

Eric raised an eyebrow at me, but said nothing. I sighed. "Yeah, I know, you can probably make me do it anyways, but isn't it better for both parties if I were willing and did this voluntarily?"

He thought it over, and for an icy second, I was in his mind. It was like suddenly being dipped into a pit full of cold, calculating snakes, and it scared me like nothing else.

He was thinking how he could make me do anything, anytime, just by threatening my family or friends; he had seen how loyal I could be. But, he tried to keep his dealings as legal as possible, as he didn't like the police snooping around. Besides, he added as an afterthought that actually contained a bit of emotion in his otherwise cold mind, he wanted to bed me, and I was more likely to 'yield' if he played nice. He wasn't sure why he was so attracted to me or why I was so fascinating to decipher, but in case it was just lust, he wanted to get me out of his system. The only way to do that, as he couldn't glamour me, was by seduction. If it wasn't just lust, he would deal with that later. He honestly didn't think he was capable of love, so he wondered what else it could be.

The rest of his thoughts were in another language, and just as quickly as I was in his mind, I was out. More confused about things than ever, I was terrified he would find out I had heard his thoughts. No matter how much he might like me or be interested in me, he valued his privacy more, I was sure. I didn't want to find out which he valued more, so I quickly interrupted his musing before he found me out.

"So do we have a deal or not?"

He came down from his downtime, looked at me, and nodded once in agreement. "Deal," he said. Satisfied, I turned to the human that Pam was leading in through the door.

It was a poor, balding old man, and he sweated profusely. He seemed terrified to be in the presence of vampires, and his thoughts were full of fear.

Eric gestured to the human, and explained, "This is Bruce, our account manager. Pathetic creature, really; not nearly bright, ambitious, or brave enough to have done it, but listen to him nonetheless."

Unsure of how to approach this, as I had never done this on purpose before, I decided to touch his hand, as physical contact always enhanced my ability; then thinking it was too intimate, I moved my hand up to his wrist. Then I closed my eyes and listened.

_Who is this woman why is she holding my hand why did Eric bring her is this going to ruin my chances with him he is so beautiful but he doesn't know about me but now I am so scared I don't know what they will do to me gotta stop dealing with the bloodsuckers even if they do pay well just let them glamour me into forgetting and go away another company offered more money gotta take some of the better employees oh but now I'll never get the chance I wonder who did it maybe I could have caught them and gotten reward maybe He would give me some of his blood I need another fix if I can leave I'll take as much money as I can its not like they pay much attention to humans around here anyways think we're all scum…_

I pulled away, gasping. I had never spent so much time in another's head, and the thoughts almost made me sick. I took a few seconds to steady myself, and waited until Bruce was escorted out of the room. Then I turned to Eric.

"That man, Bruce- he isn't the spy, but he did some other stuff. He is a blood addict, and deals with some Drainers. He is also planning to leave your employment rather soon, taking some of your best staff with him. Another company has offered him a better payment, and he is thinking about embezzling some of your money before he leaves—apparently, y'all don't pay much attention to humans around here." Eric got stiller with every word I said, and I was starting to regret helping him. I decided not to tell him about Bruce's little crush, and was thankful for that decision now. This job went against all my principles, but it was work that I owed Eric, and I'd be darned if I didn't do my best. I could, however, make it easier for the poor human.

As Eric started to get a dangerous look in his eye, E went on, looking at him, "I would suggest glamouring the man into forgetting about vampires and planting some illegal drugs into his car since vampire blood isn't yet illegal. He had stashes of cocaine and heroin at his house, so the police can get an anonymous tipoff from someone. Remember, no torture or killing," I added sternly.

Eric looked at me like I had started to spout ancient Greek philosophy in the original language. "Sookie, you have unexpected depths," He said thoughtfully, looking at me with something akin to pride. He then looked at Pam and Longshadow meaningfully, as if to show them what a bright little human I was. I wondered if I'd get a golden star.

"All right, we will do that. Pam, bring in the next human." Pam brought in a dark, thin waitress, and I repeated the process with her.

By the time I was nearly done, I was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to go to bed and sleep for a week. The culprit was nowhere to be found, though I had found two more drug dealers, a blood addict, a human with AIDS, and a waitress who had gotten pregnant by a passing truck driver and now wanted to quit. All were dealt with legally, more or less, and under my supervision.

Next up was Ginger, the waitress whose mind had been glamoured into a puddle and who bore her scars with pride. When she walked it, she was foolish enough to smile at Eric, and confident enough to sit down and cross her legs in what she hoped was an elegant fashion. "You wanted to see me, Master?" She asked, batting her eyelashes. Eric looked annoyed and was curt. "This is business, Ginger."

The fact that this was serious must have filtered through the fog of her brain, and she affected a serious expression, uncrossed her legs, and waved her hand at me grandly, as if to say, 'you may begin, fellow vampire servant."  
I rolled my eyes and took her hand. Her reaction was surprising, though. She jerked away from me violently, and hissed, "Don't touch me!" I stared at her, stunned. Eric said calmly, "Pam."

Immediately, Pam was there, gripping Ginger's shoulders so she couldn't move. I came up again and grabbed her wrist. I tried to look into her mind, and it was walking on a bombsite. Ginger started to whimper, moving her head back and forth because her body was immobilized by Pam's tight grip. I looked into her crazed eyes and asked, trying to make sense of her befuddled mind, "Did you give away the information?" She screamed then, long and hard, but I'd gotten a glimmer of something.

"She didn't do it, but she knows who did." I looked further in, ignoring my headache. "It's a vampire, someone local. He's bitten her," I gestured to her scars, as if it needed any more illustration. I stepped away, knowing I wouldn't get any more out of her.

"Bring in her closest coworker," I commanded to Pam, and she obeyed without question. A second later, a brunette with the sexiest pouty mouth I had ever seen entered the room. She looked a hell of a lot more alert than Ginger, and recognized the fact that she needed to answer seriously and honestly. Eric asked her, "Belinda, who has had Ginger in these past few weeks?" I held her wrist as she answered promptly, "Anyone that would have her."

Concentrating hard, I breathed, "Which one from here?"

A glimpse of something—there, I had it. My eyes sought his corner before I said his name, and in the next second I was being hurtled through the air by a murderous vampire. My arm came up automatically to guard my face, and that was what saved me; instead of ripping into my throat, his teeth connected viciously with my arm, ripping into the flesh. I screamed, and then things happened very quickly. Longshadow slumped against me, and a stream of blood came up from his mouth. Mine was opened in shock and directly under his, so most of it went down my throat. As I was gagging, I saw his eyes turn to puddles, and he sort of caved in on himself. His hair started falling off in large clumps, and his skin turned waxy and gray. I pushed the quickly disintegrating corpse off of me, and saw Eric standing over us, looking the same as ever except very bright eyes and a mallet in his hand. Huh. I guess those myths about wooden stakes was true, I thought, staring at the one in the pile of ashes that had been Longshadow.

I wiped my mouth with my hand, and realized that the wound Longshadow had inflicted was very nearly healed. Eric asked me, taking a step towards me, "Did any of the blood go down your throat?"

I said in disgust, "Yes, probably. What does this mean?" I scrambled to stand on unsteady feet.

Eric's eyes looked distant. "That remains to be seen." Another step. "How do you feel, Sookie?"

Now that I thought of it, everything looked…clearer. I heard distinctly the music in the bar—Frank Sinatra was crooning 'Strangers in the Night'. The room seemed brighter—and Eric's eyes were darkened in a look by now very familiar to me. I realized I had a problem as he took yet another deliberate step towards me, as a lion stalking a gazelle. I shivered at the comparison.

Taking a step back even as Eric approached, I said nervously, "Now, Eric, remember our deal. Id did my part, you did yours. Now we all go home now, no funny business, right?"

He didn't answer, but came closer still. I looked in desperation at Pam, but she was in her own trance, and was staring at Belinda's pouty mouth in a way that would have made me distinctly nervous. Belinda, incredibly, was preening.

Meanwhile, Eric had reached me, thrown aside the blood-specked mallet, and started to inhale deeply, rubbing his cheek against mine like some great cat. Desperate to distract him, I asked him, "Whose bartending tonight?"

Eric skimmed his sculpted nose along my neck, eliciting another shiver from me, this one of pleasure. He answered absently, "We have a substitute."

He started licking the blood off my chin, cheeks, and lastly, mouth, in long, lazy strokes. He purred into my lips, and the sound echoed down below. I couldn't help but respond to his intense kiss—you don't just stand there when a master of the art is laying one on you. But when he started to move his mouth down my oversensitive neck, I gathered the rest of my wits and said sharply, "Pam!"

Distracted from her own bloodlust, Pam shook herself and quickly assessed the situation. She came to the door and called, "Ginger! Master wants you."

The waitress came in, her face lit up like a kid's on Christmas Day. She sidled up between us with surprising ease, shoving me aside unceremoniously. She ran her hands up and down Eric's body, rubbing against him. Eric seemed to snap out of his haze at the contact with her, and looked at me as he leaned down to kiss Ginger. I felt an unfamiliar surge of something like annoyance, and looked away. Whatever repelling effect Ginger had must have worked, because he shuddered in disgust and swatted her away as if she were no more than a fly. Where I would be mortified at such treatment, she merely pouted and crossed her arms. I vowed, once more, to myself that I would never let myself become like her.

Eric looked over at me, his eyes assessing. Suddenly, he was right there in front of me, and kissed me with passion. Involuntarily, I moaned, and parted my mouth. Some part of my mind that was still conscious cursed my treacherous body as his tongue slid in my mouth and along my tongue. Just as suddenly, his lips were off of mine and I opened my eyes to see him standing in front of me, thoughtful but pleased. "Yes, incomparable," he murmured to himself almost inaudibly, but I was too vexed to pay attention to that then.

Annoyed at his casual treatment of me, and with myself for responding so eagerly, I asked testily, "So can we go now?"

His eyes glittered with amusement, but he simply said, "Yes", and followed me outside. The ride home was quiet and filled with extreme tension—both sexual and emotional. We were at my house in about 20 minutes, and Eric was opening the door for me. I glanced at the windows, and noticed that the lights were off; clearly, Gran was giving me a message I didn't intend to listen to.

Eric walked me to the door in silence, obviously stuck in some deep thought process. He said abruptly, "I don't know why, but I feel I should apologize—something, you should be sure, I have never done to a human. But Longshadow was an old and trusted friend and employee for a long time now, and I had no idea he would do what he did. Had I known the risk to you, or even suspected that it was a vampire, I would have dealt with the problem myself." I shivered to think how many maimed humans that would have resulted in. But he seemed sincere, if very surprised at himself for apologizing to a mere human, and oddly enough, I believed him. I could only imagine how difficult it was for a thousand year old vampire to apologize to plain old me. I still had to ask, though.

"Why did you kill him, though? I am sure that one of your own race is more important to you than a human, even if telepathic. After all, I am nothing special, aside form that; just a plain old boring, uneducated barmaid from Louisiana."

"No," Eric said simply. "No." And he was off, and in the next second, the corvette screeched out of my driveway at Eric's reckless speed. As far as exits go, his was a pretty good one.

_Thank you all for reviewing, and please continue—remember, the more reviews, the quicker I update, and the more Eric/Sookie action there is. Let me know what you think should happen next—the plot is pretty much set in my head, but I am always open to suggestions. _

_One question—when do you think Gran should die? Before you groan and cry, I have been planning her death from the beginning, probably something akin to what was in the book—I just don't know if she should have some more interaction with Eric or at least just Sookie, or if she should just be gone after her cryptic remarks and leave Sookie to figure it out. BTW, I know that Eric and Sookie will probably only hook up after her death, so keep that in mind. :k _

_Review, let me know what you think! Thank you, -vihnngaih :k_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: if I did own SVM, I wouldn't waste time writing fanfiction, I would let Eric turn me, kick Sookie's butt, and we'd run away into the moonset together with howls of bloodlust… unfortunately that's not the case, and C. Harris owns it…sigh. I can't even have those delicious dreams, as TrueBlood owns that…:k**

_So sorry for the long wait—thank you, my faithful reviewers! Without you, I might never have picked this up again…:k_

EPOV

Watching Sookie work was truly awe (and lust) inspiring. The way she unconsciously furrowed her brow in concentration, the way she bit her lip in vexation—made me want to draw that lip between my teeth and make her moan…I shook my head to clear it. That damned girl was taking up more of my thoughts every time I saw her. The fact that her Grandmother knew something didn't help. That particular comment about vicious fairies…if my suspicions were true, then Sookie was at least part fae—it would certainly explain that tantalizing blood…but no, I was lying to myself again. No full-blooded fairy had ever had that particular effect on me, and I feared I could not blame this on only her blood- there was something about her, a certain fearlessness combined with innocence, a zest for life that I had seen in few, without the decadence. Were I, prior to meeting this frustrating human, to describe the perfect taste of blood, her's would have sprung to mind immediately…. I shook those foolishly sentimental thoughts from my mind- it wouldn't do to become weak for some human, especially not now, when my position was compromised by another sheriff and I had treachery within my own ranks. I would also have to keep an eye on Longshadow—not only had he gazed at my bonded in a far too appreciating manner, but he had been acting twitchy for months now. Even now, as Sookie was approaching a female vermin—Ginger, I believe, her name was—he was watching her too intensely. I frowned.

My musings were distracted when the disgusting girl—after being foolish enough to try to seduce me (where she got the idea that I would be even remotely attracted to her…no, my tastes currently lay in blonde, curvy, and sassy) – screamed when my future lover tried to hold her wrist. I motioned to Pam, who flitted over and restrained the human. After Sookie's attempts to read her mind turned out futile, she turned to Pam and soon, another girl was brought in—I remembered having her once, and finding her pouty lips not enough to make up for her flat-tasting blood. At least she was more lucid than the other waitress, and allowed Sookie to take her hand.

I only had a split second's warning. Sookie's eyes flitted to a corner, and then I saw, in slow motion, Longshadow starting to lunge at her. Without stopping to think, I ran at full speed to my desk, grabbed a stake and mallet from a drawer, and in the next instance, it was in the back of the one who dared to attack my bonded. I heard him grunt and Sookie choke on something—I also felt my blood in her being diluted by something else. Sookie pushed the quickly disintegrating corpse away and looked up at me- and I noticed immediately that her eyes were unnaturally bright and her beautiful mouth was tainted by another's blood.

"Did you swallow any of his blood?" I asked, trying to keep my possessive instincts at bay.

"Yes…what does it mean?" I growled inaudibly as my suspicions were confirmed and, almost against my will, took a step towards her.

"That remains to be seen." Fighting for control seemed rather futile now, and I quickly crossed the space between us to press close to her and inhaled. Longshadow's scent clung all over her; I started to rub my cheek against hers to replace it with my own. Licking the blood off her face, I was dimly aware of shock and fear through our weakening bond; but the predominant emerging emotion was lust. Never one to refuse a beautiful lady, I complied to her emotions and kissed her thoroughly; feeling her respond soothed both the bond and the raging monster inside of me demanding that I take her then and there.

Finding myself less and less inclined to fight it, I started to travel lower to her neck, inciting shivers on her fragile skin. Grazing that soft skin with my fully extended and aching fangs, I felt, through a deep fog of lust and jealousy, her spiking fear, and that was the only thing that made me hesitate. She broke away with a gasp, and called my child's name. I was starting to reach for her again, slightly disgruntled: then something vile and clearly aroused, by the smell of it, sidled in between me and _my_ human. I was about to kill the annoyance, but it was enough of a distraction to break me free of my daze. To clear my head further, I leaned down to kiss the disgusting creature, keeping myself from recoiling in disdain—the difference between Sookie and this—this _ginger_ whore was astounding. Amused, I felt a twinge of jealousy through the bond and had to keep myself from laughing- chances were, my lover didn't even realize she was jealous. Still, it was enough of an incentive to flick away the pathetic human and look at Sookie.

I suddenly felt the strongest desire to kiss her again and soothe the fear that was beginning to emerge on her face and the bond—plus, I also really wanted to get the vile taste of ginger out of my mouth. So, I did just that. Like last time, her scent, taste, and emotions enveloped me in a strong storm of satisfaction, and it was all I could do to restrain myself from claiming her then. After a moment, she broke away, panting. I stayed where I was, and murmured to myself, confirming, "Yes, incomparable."

I took Sookie home, with an uncomfortable silence ruling the car. As I opened the door for her, I felt a twinge of guilt at the way she looked—still ravishing, but also exhausted, scared, and bloody. Because of me, she had almost died tonight. At her door, I gave in to the impulse to apologize, for the first time, to a human. She looked shocked, to say the least, and then asked me a question that had honestly never occurred to me; why would I sacrifice a member of my own race for some human? As she told me that she had no value, I did not even have to think about the answer. "No", I said, and knew without a doubt that I would have killed a hundred more, for her. "No", and then, to escape that little woman who would be the death of me, I went to my car without another word and drove away, resolving to keep away until I figured out what this strange feeling for this human was.

SPOV

The next two days were surprisingly Eric-free. Even the dreams let up, and I had to wonder if Longshadow's blood had anything to do with this. Thankfully, I had no dreams about that creep, and secretly was disappointed in the dilution of the dreams about a certain Viking. Now, I woke up with only faint recollections of passion-filled kisses and epiphanies that I could not remember, which frustrated the hell out of me.

Fortunately, I had something to occupy myself with—preparations for Hadley's arrival were in full clean mode, and between that and work, I had little time to think about Eric or what happened at Fangtasia—I was still reeling from the events that occurred and Eric's cryptic remark at the end. Unfortunately, that also meant that Hadley was coming, and I had absolutely no desire to see that little skank. One good thing that came out of the whole mess was that I might have a bit more patience now that, with a whole lot more blood in my system, I could control my shields and my temper much better. Of course, I also looked better than ever, and could gloat silently to myself at Hadley, but that would be so unladylike, I could not add it to the list of positive things.

As I was chasing the last of the dust bunnies away with the duster, I heard the gravel crunching in the driveway. Taking off my apron and stepping outside, I saw Hadley park next to my car in an equally rickety old one, and open the door. I noticed that she had trouble getting out with her heavily swollen belly, and gave her a hand. Hadley murmured a quiet "thanks" and it was then I noticed how tired and defeated she looked, with none of the healthy glow I usually saw in pregnant women.

I peeked into her head and almost stumbled; instead of current thoughts and emotions, like usual, I was viewing a rapid progression of old memories. …_A beautiful lady with a regal poise and cold skin flirting with her…making love to her, drinking her blood. A lovers' tiff and a rebellious one-night stand with a dark-haired slim man…a positive pregnancy test. Panicking, making some excuse about not loving anymore to the beautiful lady, Sophie-Anne…Finding the man, making him fall in love with her… Signing a marriage contract next to the signature of Remy Savoy. Fights, tears, make-up sex. More fights- a big one. Then running, running out of the house—a glance at the mirror revealed a slim but tearstained Hadley holding a suitcase—getting in the car, driving away. The mirror overhead reflected a figure of the man running out of the house and shouting her name, giving up as he saw that she had no intention of stopping…_I came back to reality with a gasp, and just managed to avoid tripping over the stairs we had reached.

Fortunately for me and my reeling mind, Gran came out on the porch and greeted Hadley warmly, kissing her on the cheek and inquiring about her health. Hadley answered as if nothing was wrong, and I just stared, dumbfounded. Hadley was in love with a _vampire_? Hadley was in love with a _female _vampire? Still reeling in shock, I managed to prepare the table without incident and we sat down for dinner.

I put the vampire matter out of my mind and focused on more trivial matters. For one thing, Hadley never told us that she was married, only that she was knocked up by her ex-boyfriend, Remy Savoy. I guess this meant that she was not meaning to go back to him. But if not him… If my suspicions were correct, then she wanted to be with that vampire woman, Sophie-Anne. However, what would she do about the baby?

So deep was I into my thoughts, I did not notice a gentle prodding into my mind until a minute into it. Once I did, though, I started. Sending a probe through that bond Eric and me had because of his blood, I could feel nothing- it was daytime, after all. No, this was local. I noticed Hadley cringing suddenly at the same time I got a particularly powerful push at my mind. I looked suspiciously at her and was about to check her mind when I saw her put a hand on her swollen stomach, grimacing. With growing apprehension, I sent a probe at her unborn child and almost gasped out loud. Instead of the usual warm and contented feeling newborns and the older fetuses had, this one was almost conscious and was sending _me_ emotions of exasperation and curiosity. Could it be…?

Before I could check it out further, Gran asked concernedly, "Hadley, are you quite alright?"

Grimacing, she answered, "Just the baby kicking. I think I'll go up to rest now, I am pretty tired after driving all day." She got up and, after excusing herself, went up to the spare bedroom we had set up for her.

I also quickly finished my food and did the dishes, then also excused myself in order to get some time to think.

At my room, I slumped down on the bed and thought furiously. Fact Number 1: I could now see memories. Whether it was a result of the large amount of vampire blood or simply a natural development, certainly something to think about; however, there was nothing to do with that fact, and it would have to wait. Fact Number 2: Hadley had been with a vampire, and knew of their existence; she was also married to Remy Savoy, who may or may not know about the pregnancy. Fact Number 3: her unborn child was telepathic, like me, which was a whole lot more trouble.

On the one hand, I felt a small bit of hope- here was proof I was not alone, and I now had someone I could share my experiences and thoughts with, even if it was just a child. Despite the fact that I would never wish my disability on anyone, now there was someone who would be able to relate to my situation. Besides, I could probably make it easier on the kid by teaching him or her how to put up shields and cope with information- a luxury I certainly never had. Though this meant I would have to befriend Hadley to have an excuse for visiting often, I was sure I could handle it for the sake of the child.

On the other hand, I really would never wish for anyone to go through what I did—the fact that it would be an innocent child tore at my heart. Then a thought flitted through my head and froze my blood. Vampires. If Hadley really was involved with them, even if it was a long time ago, then, from what I had seen of them, they would not hesitate to take advantage of the kid. The very thought of a young, malleable telepath related to another, more stubborn one—I remembered Eric's words about what a hot commodity telepaths were in the Supe world—would have those manipulative vamps jump on the opportunity like flies on honey. I would have to do what I could to keep them away—even if it meant I would never see him again. If I could even keep them from knowing until the child's existence until it was an adult capable of making decisions, it would still be worthwhile. Most of all, I had to check up on Hadley to make sure that, if she stayed with the child, she never contacted vampires again or, if she left it to Remy, as I suspected she might do, that she never know it was a telepath. Either way, I had to stay close to her.

After taking a shower to clear my mind and putting on my night clothes, I was no closer to an answer to my problems than before, and finally fell into an uneasy sleep…

_Lying in the same crimson bed with the soft lighting and the dark canopy, I turned to Eric, who was trailing kisses down my bare shoulder. As his mouth reached my nipple and I gasped, arching into it, he paused and looked up. "What bothered you so much today, lover? I could feel your emotions in my rest." _

_My heart raced, but I managed to keep a straight face. "My cousin came over today." True. "I found out she knows about vampires." Also true. "Turns out she had an affair with a vampire named Sophie-Anne—do you know her?" _

_Eric gasped, though he probably didn't need to, his brilliant blue eyes widening. "Are you sure it was Sophie-Anne? Not any other name?" _

"_Yes," I replied in confusion. He sighed, then closed his eyes and continued his ministrations. As he flipped me over to land astride him, he continued. "She is Queen of Louisiana, the one I mentioned." My eyes widened at the implications even as I leaned down to kiss him, shuddering as his skillful tongue slipped into mine. His hands ran trails of fire over my skin, and I had to struggle to keep from spontaneously combusting. "What does this mean?" I grinded against his growing erection; in a flash he had us flipped over again and hovered over me in all his muscled glory, his hair tickling my breasts. "That remains to be seen," he growled and lowered his head to my neck. _

I bolted upright in bed, clutching my neck and gasping. That dream had been more vivid than any so far, and if Eric really knew about Hadley… I supposed I would find out when I next saw him. Looking outside, I saw that it was already morning, albeit early. I took a quick shower, put on some clean and comfortable clothes, and made my way down to the kitchen. As I passed through the hallway, the doorbell rang. Wondering who could be there so early, I called, "I'll get it," and opened the door.

Outside was a fat, balding man in glasses and a sour expression on his face. He introduced himself as Bobby Burnham and gave me an expensive-looking envelope with a flourished "E" on it. He also handed me a single red rose and, after a disdainful glance at the house, left without another word. With no small amount of dread (and a slight swooning of my inner romantic at the rose) I opened the letter.

_Dearest Lover, _

_ Thank you for the service you did me, and here is your payment, as per agreement. I believe that the injury you suffered while at my bar negated your side of our little deal. Take care of yourself, and stay away from Fangtasia for the following week, as the Queen is visiting unexpectedly. She cannot know there is a telepath in my area, of else I fear she will have no qualms about kidnapping you for her own uses. Keep your cousin away, as well, and do not tell anyone about her relation to Sophie-Anne. I will see you soon. Try not to get eaten, please. _

_-E_

He signed it in the same flourished letter as was on the envelope which had two thousand dollars in it. I fainted.

_Ah, cliffhangers…they never get old :k_

_I am terribly sorry for the extremely long wait—as someone pointed out, real life did take over for a short while and I had to put this on hold. I really hope that it won't happen again, and I really have to thank you, my wonderful reviewers, for pulling my head out of my butt and getting me to write again… special thanks to elk68 who sent me a personal message as well, I guess that was the snapping point at which I could no longer resist…:k_

_I will update pretty regularly from now on, though there may be some long waits— I'm studying pretty hard right now. Btw, the main reason for my long absence was that I was doing an exchange program in Russia for a short while, and honestly had little time to focus on our favorite Viking and telepath. On the plus side, if any of you guys is also a fanwriter and needs some Russian translations, I'm pretty fluent now :)_

_Thanks again, and remember, the more you push the magic green button, the quicker I update…If the reviews hadn't hit 325 today, you might have waited another two weeks… I love blackmail :) mwahaha! :k_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: not mine, etc, etc, blah blah blah, you know the deal. **

_Thank you, wonderful reviewers! This is just a filler chapter, so Eric will be in the nest one…has lots of Pam-flirting, though, so read on! :k_

Fortunately, I came back to consciousness again before anyone realized I had lost it, and after picking up the fallen rose and envelope, I quickly went back to my room. After firmly shutting the door behind me, I sank to my knees and struggled to keep from hyperventilating. This whole business with vampires was going to run me into an early grave, honestly. As my mind raced with the possibilities of what happened, I was dimly aware of my breathing speeding up and black dots threatening to cover my vision again—with an effort, I started to breathe slowly and the spots receded.

My mind was thankfully distracted from the pressing matter of Eric knowing about my dream by the anger I was starting to feel at him not only sending me a payment, but twice the amount we had discussed. The gall of that man! Did my word and deal mean nothing to him? And to give me twice as much—I felt like some sort of bought woman, and gritted my teeth in anger. What little money I had, I'd earned honestly, and I would not start accepting charity now. I resolved to give the money back when I nest saw him, which further eased my breathing—finally, something I could control.

Then another pressing matter occurred to me and filled me with cold dread. Sophie-Anne. How was it that I lucked out to have the one cousin who would have an affair with the one vampire that could do me the most damage besides Eric, and have that vampire visit at the same time Hadley was? Now, not only did I have to watch out for myself, lest the power-hungry vampire _kidnap_ me, but I also had to keep the telepath-pregnant, ex-lover of that vampire hidden, too! Well, I thought, no use crying over spilt milk- I would do what I had to in order to keep myself and Hadley out of Shreveport, and really, how hard could that be? She was pregnant, for Pete's sake!

With a new resolution and calming breaths, I gathered my strength of will and marched down to breakfast. In the kitchen, Gran was bustling about the stove already, and turned to give me a smile as I walked in. "Good morning, Sookie, it is nice to see you up so early. Give me a hand, please?" I complied and soon we were working side-by-side making delicious crispy omelets, bacon, and preparing the table. About half an hour later, a sleepy and disheveled Hadley lumbered into the room and plopped down at the table pretty irreverently for a pregnant woman.

"Good morning," she said, wrinkling her nose, "What's for breakfast?"

Gran gave her a fond smile. "I remember how omelets and bacon were your favorite in high school, so I made those, dear."

Hadley grimaced and made a falsely apologetic face. "Now that I'm pregnant, that kind of food makes me a bit ill. Do you have any French toast instead?"

Gran looked concerned, completely disregarding the fact that her perfectly good breakfast would now be going to waste. "Of course, darling, I'll make some right away. Is there anything at all else that you would like?"

Hadley gave me an evil smirk that only I could see. "Well, my back is a bit achy…maybe Sookie could fetch me a pillow?"

I resisted the urge to bark and went out to find one under Gran's expectant gaze. This was going to be a long week, now that Hadley had revealed the nastiness she had been hiding yesterday.

Just as I had predicted, the next three days were hell. Gran, oblivious to the fact that she was being taken advantage of, adhered to Hadley's every whim, and made me do the same. While Gran usually had a backbone of steel, sometimes she was a little too soft on family—which surprised me, as she was far from blind to my and Jason's faults. Sometimes she looked at Hadley with so much pity, I wondered if she knew something—but like always, I refrained from reading her thoughts out of respect for her.

When on the fourth day of Hadley's arrival, I had to work a full-day shift, I had never been happier to don my uniform from Merlotte's. After fixing my hair and applying light makeup as always, I quickly got my keys and almost ran to my car lest Hadley figure out some new absurd errand I had to run for her. Thankfully, I made it without incident and got to Merlotte's in record speed.

As I opened the door to the bar, I spied Sam in the corner and waved my hand to get his attention to my presence. He almost looked relieved and greeted me warmly. I was still a bit miffed at him for tattling to my brother about my going to Fangtasia—but he looked so hopeful and relieved, I decided to forgive him just this once and gave him a hug. I realized this was a mistake when he stiffened, growled inaudibly, and forcefully led me to his office by the arm.

Exasperated, and knowing where this was going, I interrupted him before he got one word out, "Shut up, Sam. I know what you are about to say and trust me, you would regret it. I know what I smell like, but really, it is not what you think, not that it's any of your business. My life is my own, and I'm not going to let you dictate it in some misguided attempt to save me from the Big Bad Vampires. So you can take those little prejudices of yours and stuff them where the sun don't shine."

Sam looked surprised at my outburst—I may have vented some of my frustration with Hadley onto him, but still looked abashed. "I was only worried about you, Sook," he muttered softly, looking at the floor and rubbing the back of his neck like a misbehaving child. "You were nowhere to be seen and I knew you'd gone to Fangtasia…you can't blame me for that. What if those vamps had done something to you?"

I softened—after all, he just looked too adorable not to forgive. "All right, but did you have to get my brother into this? I mean, what did you think to accomplish? That Jason would kill the vampires with his 'stunning good looks' or bore them to death with his selfishness?" Sam looked embarrassed and I continued, "Besides, it's actually the opposite of what you think. Eric actually saved me from a rogue werewolf that night…"

Sam blanched, and grabbed my arm, demanding, "You saw a werewolf? Why didn't you tell me?"

I didn't appreciate being grabbed like that, and replied testily, "Well, excuse me for being a tad preoccupied with the wounds on my back."

Sam paled my words. "What? Were you bitten?"

Then he turned me around and lifted my shirt to examine my back. "There aren't any scars…"

I answered softly, "Eric gave me some of his blood to heal them."

Sam hesitated, and pulled my shirt back down; not without kissing the skin there, though, sending some goose bumps over my back. "I suppose that's good that he healed you, although I don't like you being bonded to him…"

I turned around, a little flushed. "You know about it? How does it work?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I know just the basics. Mostly, aside from increased strength, speed, and…um…sex drive," here he blushed, "you share an emotional bond and he can find you anywhere." Okay, nothing I didn't know before. He continued. "Also, if you consecutively share blood three times in a row, then it will never fade and you will be bonded forever."

Well, Eric did forget to mention that little detail. This was my chance to find out about the dreams, so I asked him, "What about dreams?"

Sam looked startled, "That's very rare. Basically, sometimes the human has some vague dreams about the vampire, but usually doesn't remember them. Why?" He peered at me suspiciously, "Did you have them?"

I bluffed, "Just once. But you mentioned emotions; is it possible that he could steal my thoughts, too?"

Sam looked doubtful. "I never heard of that happening. In any case, watch out for him and if he does anything, tell me, and we'll figure it out. Just try to stay away from the vampires from now on."

He honestly looked worried, so I lied again, "All right. I'll try." And I would; I just didn't think that _they_ would stay away from _me_.

Sam didn't look convinced, but I left his office anyways with a little wave of my hand. Fortunately, the rest of the day passed pretty normally for a change, and I, in between worrying about the stronger bond and Hadley's child, and blocking the random thoughts of customers, had not been so relaxed in days. When seven o'clock rolled around, I was much calmer and very satisfied with the sheer normalcy of that day.

I should have known better than to think that when Pam arrived in all her pale glory at the doors. Making sure to catch my eye, she deliberately made her way to my section and sat down, seemingly oblivious to a full bar of suddenly drooling men. She was wearing a short form-fitting business suit, and sky-high heels—this must be serious.

I delayed seeing her as long as I could, taking orders at all the tables except hers—but this only gave me twenty minutes, and soon I had no choice but to make my way over to her, notebook in hand and nervous smile in place. "Hi, welcome to Merlotte's, can I take your order, please?" I asked, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Unfortunately, my pretend-to-ignore-the-problem-so-it-will-go-away tactic didn't work, and backfired on me rather hard. The first sign I got that something was wrong was when, after frowning a bit, her eyes lit up with mischief and her lips curved into a lascivious smirk. She decided to play my game, only definitely not in any way I expected.

Looking at me up and down and undressing me with her eyes, she licked her lips slowly and deliberately and said in a sultry tone, "Honey, I would _love_ an order of that delicious ass of yours with a double entrée of those _magnificent_ breasts and a side of your sassy mouth. What I would _really_ like, though, would be to take you home with me and make you scream all night long. …However, since I doubt you would appreciate that, I suppose I will have to settle for a glass of wine. Red Merlot, please." Her words were clearly enunciated and, if the sudden barrage of graphic images of us together was any indication, very much heard by the bar.

Mortified, I closed my eyes and said, "Coming right up," before fleeing to the kitchen. Inside, I steeled myself, and, after pouring a glass of Merlot, walked back out. This time, I was prepared, and strengthened my shields before any of the dirty thoughts permeated my mind.

"Here you go," I said unceremoniously and, after seeing that my section did not need me, plopped down across from her. "Now, what do you want?" She arched a delicate eyebrow at my gracelessness and emphasized her own poise by crossing one leg daintily over the other and lifting the wine glass to her lips as if to drink it. Setting it back down, she replied with some of the old lust, "I thought I just established that just now," before turning more somber. "It's actually a matter of what Eric wants. What with Sophie-Anne visiting for another two days, he needs to make sure you and your cousin stay away and do not get in her sight. Seeing as he is currently under suspicion because of another sheriff accusing him of treason, he believes his phones and mail are now being monitored, so he sent me to make sure you understand. If the queen finds out about you, she will have no problem with kidnapping you away to her court. If she knows about your cousin, she might do the same to her."

I interrupted her, "How do you know about my cousin?"

Pam smirked. "Eric knows a lot of things. This one, he got in the records and recognized the name from a long-ago conversation with the Queen."

I almost slumped in relief. So he didn't get it from me, but from spying—"Are you saying he _spies_ on my?" I cried in outrage.

Pam looked exasperated. "Silly girl, he needs to keep track of what happens in his area and to his favorite telepath. That doesn't mean he _spies_ on you."

I nodded. "Okay. What else did he want? I'm sure he wouldn't send you all the way here just to tell me to stay away."

She looked surprised at my basic deduction skills and then gave a nod. "You are right. He also wanted me to tell you that he looked for the scent of the Were that attacked you—from what he could tell, it was only a rogue, but we think you should be careful just in case it was a planned attack."

I looked doubtfully at her, "You think some Weres might be after me? Why would they do that? They don't even know about me."

Pam considered my words, and said, "Still, be careful, you have proven much too amusing to die on us now." With those comforting words, she rose to leave.

I muttered, "Um, thanks. I'll guess I won't be seeing you then," I added hopefully.

She laughed. "Oh no, you can be sure that you will. Just not for the next two days. Until then, darling." Then, just to make some more trouble, she skipped to my side, planting a big cold kiss on my cheek, and walked away, swaying her hips. I could almost hear every man in the bar glancing from me to her to me again, exhaling heavily. I shook my head at her antics and got back to work.

It was pretty late when I got home, and the porch lights were off. Confused and with a slight feeling of dread after Pam's warning, I got the heavy flashlight and pepper spray from the car and made my way to the house. Unlocking and creeping open the front door, I flicked the light switch. No one was there. Making my way silently to the kitchen, I turned on the light and blinked at the sudden glare.

On the kitchen table was a small note saying,

_Sookie, dear; _

_ Hadley just went into an early labor today, and I had to call Jason to take her to the hospital, as I didn't want to bother you. When you read this, please come here, I think Hadley could do to have a friend her age there with her. _

_ Love, Gran. _

Exhaling in relief and laughing a little at my paranoia, I put on some more comfortable clothing and, taking some essentials just in case, left the house.

_Ah-hah! I got you in the end, didn't I? _

_Anyways, this was a chapter with very little Eric, mainly to just fill out the plot a little. In the future, you probably shouldn't expect me to update as often, I just had this one written out already. Next time I update will probably be sometime next week—of course, everything depends on the amount of reviews I get, so review, review, review! (please…) :k _

_Thanks, all! :k_


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